


Only the Right Medicine

by Dawnrider



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M, Human and youkai society, Modern AU, Slow Romance, Youkai InuYasha (InuYasha)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:55:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23072806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnrider/pseuds/Dawnrider
Summary: Modern AU: Kagome is new to the small town where humans and youkai live in relative peace.  But there is a disruption of that peace in the late daiyoukai's hanyou son who is at risk of being overcome.  Maybe the new addition to town is exactly what he needs...
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha)
Comments: 113
Kudos: 110





	1. Chapter 1

Everyone knew who he was. They all talked about the way he prowled around his home and through town... When he came out. It didn't happen often, but they all talked like it had just happened the other day. It wasn't that he was a youkai. There were plenty of them around these days, especially in this town. It was his unique breeding and the fact that he was supposedly very rich that made people talk. At least at first. He was considered very handsome, which left him as more or less **_the_ ** eligible bachelor in town. At least for those who were willing to ignore, or even coveted, the fact that his father had been the daiyoukai in that area for centuries. Mothers dreamed of marrying off their daughters to him so they could all live comfortable lives. Single women in town dreamed that he would notice them. He never did.

As time went on the talk grew more concerned. He was different. Before he'd been aloof and sometimes rude. Now he snarled at people. Someone swore they'd seen red in his eyes, but no one could confirm it and soon no one saw him out anymore. The talk grew less and less as time went on. Eventually people only talked about him in the way one refers to a dead aunt. Some people said he must have died, that he had destroyed himself somehow. But there were still the sounds that sometimes came from his home and the two people who had been known to be his friends for some time before had continued to come in and out of his gate, not stopping to see anyone in town.

The other part of town, the part that contained all those youkai, they didn't talk. They simply watched carefully, knowing something had to happen soon. They knew what was happening, knew the tragedy that would soon occur if nothing was done. But they couldn't interfere, couldn't help. So the humans' tongues continued to wag and the youkai watched for the sign that would prompt their interference. The daiyoukai's son would be consumed soon. And soon they would have to save him. Save him by putting him out of his misery. If they even could.

Eventually the humans gained a new fixture for their attention when a new family moved into town. A widow in her fifties, her father-in-law and her two children. The boy was still in high school and apparently a whiz with anything technological. Also a good footballer, he quickly gained the eye of many of the young girls. The daughter was older, had just finished college. No one was sure what she'd studied, but the youkai could feel her power as soon as she entered the city limits. She was a miko, and a powerful one. She seemed content to stay in her family's house, helping her mother and grandfather adjust to their new home and helping her brother find the places to hang out and be seen in their small main street area. Little did she know how much attention she was drawing to herself and what it would mean for her.

* * *

“He's getting worse, Miroku. I feel like he's forgetting who we are.” The woman sighed, glancing back up at the house once more before getting into the car. The man on the other side of the vehicle followed her gaze before getting in as well. “We're losing him.”

Starting the car, the man with dark hair pulled into a low tail nodded silently. He too felt that their friend was losing his mind, and quickly. And he knew it too. That was the hardest part. In his currently long bouts of lucidity, he knew he was losing it. The problem was that those lucid periods were slowly getting shorter and all he seemed capable of doing was sitting back and watching it happen. “He's not gone yet. We'll figure something out. Don't get so down, ok?” he finally replied, resting his right hand on her knee for a moment. “He's still fighting,” he murmured, nearly tripping over the lie. “Let's get home and have some dinner.”

Watching them leave, he shook his head sadly. They were the only people left who cared. And he hurt them every time they came to see him because he couldn't seem to understand why they came. He was dangerous, something they were all very aware of, and yet they came to see him every week. As their car left the driveway, Inuyasha resisted the urge to wave goodbye. They wouldn't see him anyway. One golden eye blinked slowly, the other bright red with a turquoise iris. He watched the town move around him, cars driving by, people walking past. No one paid his house much attention anymore. He'd heard that some people thought he was dead, while others thought – not so incorrectly – that he had lost his mind and was locked up somewhere. He felt like he needed to be locked up sometimes...

A dark head of wavy hair caught part of his attention before the slenderly built woman below it caught the rest of it. He couldn't remember seeing her before. The thing that startled him the most was that she seemed to be paying his residence a lot more attention than anyone had in months. Even more intriguing, and a bit unnerving, was the way she seemed to be staring straight at him, as though she could see him through the crack in his heavy curtains. He continued to stare at her as she stared at him. Several moments later she quirked a faint smile, then turned and went on her way. He noticed an animal carrier in one hand and an obnoxiously large yellow purse hooked on the other shoulder. Inuyasha didn't realize he'd darted to the next set of windows around the corner of his room to watch her walk away until he turned and bumped into his bedside table. “Holy fuzz,” he hissed the last, clutching his big toe and huffing until he sat on the bed to examine it. It certainly wasn't broken - it didn't hurt now - and even if it had been his youkai blood would have fixed it. But damn had it hurt! “Not even youkai are immune to stubbed toes,” he growled, staring balefully at his table.

* * *

“Now hush you big baby! You're just fine,” she grumbled at the case in her hand. The sounds coming from it would imply that something inside was dying, but truly he had just gotten his check-up and was grouchy about being in his carrier again. “Buyo! Knock it off!” The cat refused to listen, hissing and spitting, growling and yowling. Kagome chose to ignore him, continuing down the street until a strong aura caught her attention. “Hush,” she spoke with authority, instantly quieting the whining feline.

Kagome found herself in front of a large fenced-in property, the front gate sliding closed as though someone had just come in or just left. Kagome glanced around, noticing a car heading down the road and out of town. Looking back at the house, she gave it a once over. It was large, certainly, but not pretentious. She closed her eyes for a moment, the sensation that had made her stop flooding over her again. The torment was palpable, the sadness and loneliness wringing her heart. The most potent of the feelings was longing and Kagome opened her eyes, looking up to where she felt it most keenly. She couldn't see anyone at first, but a faint glint of white, as though something had moved, focused her attention.

Staring as hard as she could, she could just barely make out a figure between dark curtains, seemingly peering out at her in return. Perhaps he could feel her as well? She smiled a little, then turned to head the rest of the way home. Her mother would likely have dinner on the table soon and she had to get the cat out of his carrier before he tried to escape and did himself injury.

“Mama, I'm home!”

“Kagome.” She heard her mother set down something in the kitchen as she took off her shoes. “What on earth...” she questioned, coming into the foyer and taking the cat-carrier from her daughter. “Has he been doing this the whole time?” Mrs. Higurashi let the cat out, who instantly quieted, and watched him hightail it up the stairs and presumably into Kagome's room to hide under the bed.

“Yes. I think people thought I was hurting him. I kept getting weird looks.” Kagome shook her head. “Where's Souta?”

Her mother sighed, shrugging a moment before leading her daughter into the kitchen to have a seat while she finished dinner. “He called a while ago saying something about some guys from the team taking him to the diner for a burger. I told him it was ok. At least it means he's making friends.” Kagome nodded, accepting a glass of water from her mother.

“Do you need help with anything Mama?” Being waved off, Kagome simply sat and watched her mother finish cooking and preparing their meal. It was a comforting sight, one that hadn't changed much since she was small. Her mother had always been a good cook and she enjoyed experimenting. Family meals were always important as well as enjoyable for them. But things had changed over the last few years. She had been in school and hadn't been home as much. Then the unthinkable had happened. 

Three years before, her father had been riding home from work on the commuter train when two men got in a fight. They were members of opposing gangs and the violence had escalated. Three people, including one of the men, were killed. Kagome's father had died in the hospital a couple of days later, the fourth and last victim. Her mother had been forced to get a job after her father's death and that had led to this move to another town. They didn't have as much time together as they used to, a fact that had kept Kagome from going out and getting a job immediately.

* * *

Finding a job had been more difficult than she had anticipated. She didn't want to work in the local grocer, not that they were hiring anyway. None of the retail stores did enough business to need another person during the day and Kagome wasn't sure she was cut out to be a waitress. She was clumsy and she knew it, she wasn't about to make it someone else's burden. Scouring the paper and any bulletin boards in town for anything, Kagome found herself on the other side of town. There seemed to be a bit of a separation here, humans on one side, youkai on the other. It wasn't a hostile separation, it just... was.

There were even fewer jobs being offered on the youkai side of town and most of them looked at her strangely for asking in the first place. Again, she didn't feel any hostility toward her, just confusion and curiosity. "Well, if you are really looking for something, Gensai-san, the fox lawyer, he's looking for a nanny for his kit." The bird youkai woman who owned a hat shop supplied softly, still looking at Kagome like she might be out of her mind. "But with your abilities..." Something finally dawned on Kagome that she hadn't even thought of before.

Giving herself a mental slap to the head, Kagome smiled at the delicate looking woman. "Everyone can sense my powers, can't they? That's why everyone here keeps staring." The bird woman smiled sheepishly. "I feel like such a dope," Kagome laughed, "I can sense all the youkai here and I didn't even think about it going the other way. I would never hurt anyone," she said encouragingly.

"That's good to hear," the woman responded, smiling a little more warmly. "Here's Gensai-san's card. He'll interview you, of course, but I think he'll like you just fine."

Encouraged by the woman's enthusiasm, she went home and called the number right away. She was met with the nasally voice of a secretary, whom she told why she was calling. Explaining her name and who she got the card from, the woman on the phone made a soft noise of surprise and asked her to hold. A few moments later she was told a time and a place and asked to bring a resume.

"Mama, I have an interview!" she cried excitedly, running down the stairs to tell her mother what was going on. Her mother nodded her head as she spoke, smiling softly.

"And the opportunity to flash your degree around,” her mother teased. “This will be a perfect start for you. What kind of youkai did you say this man is?" Kagome quirked her head. She hadn't really even thought about the fact that she would be a nanny for a youkai child. She thought about it for a moment, remembering how the people in the youkai side of town had reacted to her. Maybe this man wouldn't want her anywhere near his son, considering what she was capable of. Not that she would ever do such a thing!

"A kitsune, I believe."

"I bet the little boy is adorable!" her mother cooed. Kagome smiled. Leave it to her mother to remember the important things.

The house was enormous. At least in comparison to her own house. It was fenced in, like most of the larger houses on this side of town, with a wide driveway. Kagome wasn't sure what to do until she noticed an intercom box near the gate. She pressed the call button, waiting for some sort of response. It crackled a moment. Light cursing could be heard on the other end before the noise stopped and the voice requested the reason for her presence. “Um, I'm here for an interview for the nanny position. I was told to come here.” More crackling for a moment, more frustrated cursing and then the gate began to slide open. Kagome slipped between the bars, jumping when they closed again behind her. The yard spread out on either side of the driveway and tall trees dotted the property.

As she approached the front door, it opened on its own, revealing a tallish young man with dark hair in a low tail, an earring in one ear. Frowning slightly to herself, Kagome hoped this wasn't the father of the boy she was supposed to be taking care of. He seemed to be too young to be a father and he was human anyway. A human with holy powers of his own at that. Maybe her abilities wouldn't be a problem after all. “Welcome. You must be Miss Higurashi. I'm Hoshimori Miroku.” Kagome waited for him to explain what he was doing there so she might know how to greet him. “I'm in charge of the security for this place, as well as other things. Sorry about the intercom, it's on the fritz again. Please come in, Higurashi-san.” She nodded, still slightly confused.

“You... uh, you can just call me Kagome.”

“Kagome then. Gensai-san is in his office. Do you need anything to drink?”

Unable to help her curiosity, Kagome stopped to look over the man leading her for a moment. “Are you a butler too?” she questioned. Miroku choked slightly, laughing a moment later.

“Something like that. You know, most people are too polite to ask me that.”

Kagome froze, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. “I'm sorry! That was rude, wasn't it?” Miroku just laughed, waving off her embarrassment.

“Other than the actual day to day care of the house and the cooking, I take care of most everything else. Master Gensai likes to keep very few staff since he would prefer that his son be an independent boy and he doesn't require much himself.”

“Then why hire a nanny?”

Again Miroku laughed. “Shippou is a bit... precocious. He needs a little more supervision than just at school.” Kagome nodded slowly. What was she getting herself into?

The long hallway to the office was lined with old paintings of what, Kagome guessed, were relatives as well as a large landscape of an old house. It was lovely and Kagome wondered if it had existed or if it were simply a painting. Miroku paused in front of a set of double doors, knocking lightly. He announced her and waited to hear a response before letting her in. Kagome took a deep breath and walked in, trying to exude confidence and ease at the same time. She ended up looking tense, but she didn't know that. “Please, have a seat Higurashi-san. Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you for the interview,” she responded, trying not to stare at the man who looked almost younger than Miroku did. His hair was a soft strawberry blond, pulled into a long low tail. Behind him a group of nine fluffy tails, the tips black, swished side to side. His ears were pointed and there were sharp black markings on his cheeks, near his emerald eyes. He didn't have an overly threatening look about him, but Kagome felt slightly intimidated nonetheless. Not only was he a very powerful youkai, he was dressed in a suit, the jacket hung on a hook on the wall. “Your home is lovely,” she blurted out, not sure what else to say.

His smile was small, clearly amused by her nervousness. Motioning for her to sit in the chair opposite him, he stood himself. “Thank you.” He eyed her for a moment. “What experience do you have with children, Higurashi-san?”

“I have a younger brother,” she joked, frowning at herself when she realized how stupid that sounded. “I studied child psychology in school and finished a degree in child development. I helped run a daycare program for human and youkai children at the university.”

“I see. You worked with youkai children as well. Despite your holy powers?”

Sighing, Kagome tried to form a proper response. She had been afraid that this would be an issue but had hoped it wouldn't be because of Miroku's presence. “I was born with my abilities the same way you or your son were born with yours. I trained them simply to have control over them, not so that I could use them on anyone.” She had needed to have the same conversation with many of the parents when she was working at the university. But she had been away from it for some time now and hadn't had to worry about it. She watched Gensai watch her, nervous that he might think she was talking back or being rude. After a few moments he grinned.

"That is very true Miss Higurashi. It is rare that you find someone with that outlook." He watched her for a moment before a mischievous look came into his eyes. "You are also capable of protecting yourself, I assume." She shrugged lightly and nodded noncommittally. "I see. Well I suppose if you've had no need of the ability, why further it?" he asked, his tone sly. Kagome could see the "fox" traits in him more easily in that moment. The trickster was in his element.

Thinking quickly, Kagome decided to answer his question, despite what it could imply about her. "I would have, I suppose, if I'd had someone to train me in defensive or combative arts, sir," she added quickly. "All I've done up to now has been on my own." He raised an eyebrow at that, blatantly surprised. "I mean... there were some scrolls kept at my family's shrine, but my grandfather only _thinks_ he has spiritual ability, so he wasn't much help." Kagome bit her lip when she realized she was rambling. Gensai simply smiled softly.

"Self-reliant. A commendable trait." She blushed lightly at the compliment. "Well in that case I believe you may have yourself a second interview Miss Higurashi." She beamed until she thought about what he was telling her. A second interview? With who? Gensai chuckled lightly at the confused look on her face. "My son has every right to help decide who he interacts with." Relief made Kagome sag slightly, a grin on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha ventures outside his house for once. Kagome visits the coffee shop and is reminded why she should take her drink to go. Inuyasha gets an unexpected visitor giving him an earful and gives her an eyeful in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! A second chapter already! Don't expect this to be a thing all the time... Helps that the first several chapters are written and just need tweaking/proofreading. I realized that this has a kind of Beauty and the Beast feel to it, as I'm rereading it now years later, and it wasn't intentional. I don't think? I dunno. Enjoy this bonus chapter tonight!

Unsure why, Inuyasha was out in his courtyard, walking among the plants and trees. He felt better than he had in days, but wasn't sure about making a trip outside of his own fence. There was always a risk he could lose it and not know where he was or what he was doing. He could hurt himself, or worse, someone else. He knew the others looked after him, and while he understood why, it made him angry. He was a liability, a bomb waiting to go off. He didn't want to be a burden, a risk, a rabid animal who might need to be put down... Snarling, Inuyasha closed his eyes, breathing in the calming scents once more.

The smells of flowers, of trees floated slightly above the everyday scents of the people who lived around him, cooking, cleaning, going about their lives. It made him jealous. He lived alone - mostly by choice - and he rarely had contact outside of Miroku and Sango's weekly visit or his occasional, unwilling, excursions into town. Recently he had been feeling an urge to go out and it made him nervous. Was this the last leg before he was gone? Was his urge to go out the drive of his blood to find prey? He couldn't be sure, and so he fought it with all he was, only venturing out as far as the drive.

Leisurely footsteps caught his attention, the weight of them sounding like a woman or a young person. Curious, but not wanting to get caught staring, the silver-haired man found his favorite tree, leaped into the branches, and watched as the person came closer to the gate. She slowed the closer she got, clearly curious about the place she was passing. Inuyasha recognized her as the young woman he'd seen before, the one who had looked right through his curtains at him as though they weren't there. Now he felt stupid. If she had noticed him then, she was certain to notice him in his tree. Knowing it was too late to try to leave and pointless to try and hide elsewhere, he tried to look as casual as possible.

She passed as slowly as possible without looking too suspicious, looking in through the bars of the gate. Inuyasha stifled a disappointed sigh. He'd thought for sure that she would stop. Then her head poked back around the corner, peeking in hopes of not getting caught. Inuyasha’s grin sported a twist of evil. Sneaking through the branches and up onto the wall, he tip-toed along the edge until he was more or less standing above her, watching her try to steal looks into the yard. With hardly more than a whisper of sound, he lighted on the ground behind her. Finally noticing him, she whipped around and stumbled backward with a shocked look on her face. "Spying isn't very nice, girl," he growled, wincing at the deep feral tone of his voice. A tone he’d never really had before everything had started to go downhill.

"I wasn't spying," she quipped back. "I was just curious." Surprised by her bravery, in spite of how he sounded and looked, Inuyasha leaned forward, inspecting her more closely. "What?" she asked defensively. He sniffed at her a moment, trying to find something familiar about her.

"You're not from here."

"No... My family just moved into town." Her voice had lost some of its higher pitches, making it clear to Inuyasha that she had returned to being curious and, perhaps, a little suspicious instead of startled and frightened. "Do you live here all alone?" she questioned, looking again into the garden. "Awfully big place to have all to yourself..."

"Personal question, don't you think?" Her eyes widened slightly and she twisted her mouth in a nervous way. He smirked a moment later. It didn't seem to be the first time she'd gotten herself into an uncomfortable situation such as this. "Yea, I live alone." He looked at her hard for a moment, trying to determine why she had wanted to know. "I like it that way," he lied.

She seemed to look at him for the first time, her eyes taking in his features. The long silver hair, the glowing red eye, the jagged streaks of color that shot across his cheekbones. His ears were the last to catch her attention, a soft smile coming to her lips. "I'm Kagome." At first, completely floored that she hadn't said anything about his appearance, Inuyasha wasn't entirely sure what she'd just said to him. She grinned a little broader this time, gently sticking out her hand for him to shake. He did so dumbly, still unable to get past her reaction.

"Inuyasha," he finally murmured.

Kagome's grin bloomed and she laughed a little. "Nice to meet you, Inuyasha!" Taking his hand back and trying his hardest not to sniff it, the silver-haired man stared down at the young woman who stood in front of him. She wasn't afraid of him. She said it was nice to meet him.  _ Nice _ ! He couldn't remember the last time anyone had truly thought it **nice** to be in his presence.

"Keh," he replied.

"Well I'm sorry for... snooping. It really is great to meet you. I don't know much of anyone in town yet." 

Again, the excitement to know him... Inuyasha shook his head slightly, dislodging the part of his brain that facilitated speech. "It's fine... or whatever."  _ Smooth _ , he thought, mentally kicking himself. "I'm not the one you want to meet if you want a social life," he informed her, feeling his lip curl in a faint snarl. She looked concerned for a moment, but smiled quickly.

"That's ok. I'm good at making friends," she laughed. Something caught her attention, he couldn't tell what until he felt the same thing. They were being watched. Looking over her shoulder, he noticed a woman standing in her kitchen window across the street, staring at the pair of them as though she'd just seen a ghost. Choosing not to acknowledge their audience, Kagome turned back to him. She smiled sheepishly. "I don't mean to keep you. I was on my way home from my job interview and I couldn't help myself," she said with a shrug. "Your garden is lovely."

"You got a job?"

Clearly startled by his interest in her, she stumbled over the question a moment. "Uh, well just now, yea. I'll be a nanny." He looked at her thoughtfully. She seemed the type to be good with kids. She had been accepting and patient with him so far. "A little kitsune youkai boy. His father hired me."

Inuyasha's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Could she be looking after the kitsune kid he thought she was? He chose not to say anything, nodding silently. More intuitive than he expected, she caught on to his preoccupation and made a soft excuse to get home. Her mother had dinner waiting. His stomach rumbled and he fought the resulting growl of embarrassment. "I should find myself something I guess," he muttered. Kagome looked like she wanted to ask him something, but stopped herself and simply smiled softly. Inuyasha was curious, but didn't press the matter, watching her small smile with pleasure. She was prettier than he had originally allowed himself to think. "I'll... see you around." He didn't believe his own words, but she flushed slightly, grinning and bobbing a bow before setting off down the road. Presumably in the direction of her house. Inuyasha watched her go for a few moments before vaulting himself back within the safety of his own walls. He felt even more ravenous now and he knew there was a very large steak waiting for him in the refrigerator in the kitchen courtesy of a certain monk and tajiya.

* * *

Despite feeling like she was slightly out of place, Kagome had found she really liked the town she was now calling home. The people were nice enough, there was plenty to do if you weren't looking for a rip-roaring nightlife, which she really wasn't, and her family had managed to slide in without much fuss. The grocer on their side of town knew her already and she was beginning to learn names herself. She had been roped into taking her brother out on the main stretch several times already though she felt awkward hanging out with him and his high school aged friends. At first they were interested in her since she was older, but once they discovered being out of college didn't equate to being dangerous and living a life of intrigue, they lost some of their enthusiasm over her.

Unfortunately there didn't seem to be many people her own age, at least not that lived immediately in town. She had learned from both her brother's friends and her mother that there were others who had moved away or were finishing up post graduate work in bigger cities, sometimes other countries... If they were still in town it was usually because they had married young and had children already. She was pretty much on her own. She had only met a few of them in passing but her newness to town had left a vague gap in their conversations. They weren't sure what to talk to her about and she didn't know enough about most people to inquire after family.

She had often found herself at the local coffee shop when her job search hadn't been going all that well and she hadn't wanted to go home yet to admit her failure. It was one of the few places no one tried to talk to her all the time and she could simply read a book or doodle. It was a quiet place that smelled of brewing coffee, steeping tea, and sweetly steamed milk. It was relaxing... until the owner took notice of her frequent presence. "Oi, Kagome, here again today?" Letting out a rough sigh, Kagome put on her best face. "Good to see you."

"Yea, you too Kouga-kun. How's business?" she asked, trying to maintain some sort of distance when he sat down across from her. He had a habit of trying to make their conversation intimate without her permission. Kagome had to wonder if he knew that it was generally in poor taste to hit on your customers... _ especially when they clearly aren't interested _ .

"Great, great. You're certainly helping," he quipped, winking at her. Not for the first time, she had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at him. He had to be the cheesiest, hokiest guy she had ever had the misfortune to listen to. He was nice enough, too nice really, but she was not into what he was... ahem... trying to sell. She wasn't sure how to make it any more obvious without being rude. "What do you say to me paying you back with a movie this weekend? That new one about the superhero is out, you know, the old comic book." Seeing as this described approximately seventy-five percent of the movies currently in the theater, she didn't know which one he was talking about.

"Aw, man, I wish I could, but I start my job this week and I'll be busy."

He eyed her incredulously. "That old fox has you working on the weekends too? Slave-driver! I oughta have a talk with him..."

Waving her hands in negation, Kagome spoke up. "No, no need for that. I agreed to the time to get to know the child better." She paused, frowning at the ookami youkai. "How did you know I was working for a kitsune?" Kouga snorted.

"Everyone knows you're working for Gensai. When a miko like you works for a youkai like him, everyone's going to talk, Kagome."

"Like him?"

Shrugging, he idly flicked a crumb off the tabletop. "You know, secretive and distrustful." her frown deepened at his words. That wasn't what she had gleaned about her employer at all. Secretive, maybe, but only because he seemed to keep to himself, not because he was hiding away. She shook off her musings and managed to wait out Kouga's infinite patience with her tight-lipped answers until the woman working at the register called him over. Kagome took the opportunity to slip out while his attention was diverted.

* * *

The sound was not only annoying, he didn't know what the hell it was. "What?!" he yelled, finally throwing himself out of bed and rolling into a crouch. He looked around desperately, hoping the sound would present itself as a corporeal being he could destroy. No such luck. After a moment of his mind clearing, he realized it was the buzzer from the gate. He sighed. Peeking out through the curtains, his eyes widened sharply at the sight that greeted him. Kagome, in a very nice sundress, was standing at his gate, trying desperately to make the buzzer stop. Obviously the button was stuck and she thought she was somehow going to get it unstuck. She had dropped that monstrosity of a yellow purse to the ground in her focus on the task. “What the hell?” Inuyasha grumbled, still irritated at the unexpected waking but intrigued as to her presence. He threw on pants and made his way downstairs, jumping over the banister to reach the front door faster. The buzzer was still going off and his ears were beginning to twitch on their own.

When he got the door open Kagome was simply staring at the button, looking near tears and her hand reaching for her bag as though she were considering running for it. When she sensed him, her brown eyes flipped to him, widening in her face. “Inuyasha,” she breathed. “I'm so sorry, I didn't...” He waved her off, opening the gate and digging one claw into the gap around the button and pulling it outward. The obnoxious noise stopped immediately.

“Happens.” She bit her lip, looking down at the ground. She smelled nervous, something he wasn't used to smelling on her. “What are you doing here?” he finally asked when she didn't seem inclined to tell him on her own. Her gaze popped up and her face reflected her scent. He quirked an eyebrow at her, still waiting.

Inside she was squirming. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time. Just pop over and casually ask if he wanted to grab a coffee with her! She wanted to get to know him better and feed her curiosity. He was the only person who she considered to be her age and in whom she had an interest. Plus the fact that it would maybe make Kouga lay off a little was a happy side effect. Admitting the dual motives to herself made her hesitate even more. "Well I thought... maybe..." He was staring at her, making her forget what she was trying to say. He wasn't wearing a shirt... "Do you like coffee?" Kagome fought the urge to smack herself in the forehead.  _ So smooth, Kagome... _

Inuyasha wasn't exactly sure where this was going, but he tried to play along, if only to keep her head from exploding in embarrassment. "I guess."

Kagome flinched. "Um... Well... What about coffee... with me?" she finally got out. Both his eyebrows went up this time. "I mean, you don't have to, obviously..." she hedged.

The thing was... he wanted to. It was a sudden realization for the hanyou. Despite going out as little as possible in the last year or so, not speaking with much of anyone and not really seeing anyone aside from Miroku and Sango, Inuyasha wanted to do something so mundane as go out to coffee with Kagome. "You seen my face?" he questioned instead. She looked up at him and he realized that she truly didn't see anything wrong with how he looked. "It ain't supposed to look like this." Still no real response from her in the realm of fear, disgust or disappointment. Curiosity, naturally, but nothing he had become accustomed to seeing. “Freaks people out,” he told her finally.

“I don't see why... But if it makes you more comfortable, we can just have a picnic here!” The glow of her eyes was too bright for him to say no, not that he wanted to... exactly. As though she'd been prepared for this exact possibility, she pulled a pair of bento boxes out of her huge purse. Inuyasha stared first at the food and then at the girl holding them up hopefully. “My mother made them...” she said after a moment. Unable to reject her when she'd clearly made such an effort, and not sure he wanted her to leave anyway, he waved her in through the gate. “I'm sorry I woke you.”

“How'd you know I was...” He caught her gaze and realized that while he'd at least thrown pants on, he was bare from the waist up.  _ For the love of... _ He fought down a blush and had Kagome sit on the bench under the tree in the yard. “Hold on,” he told her, darting into the house and up to his room. “Idiot!” he berated himself, thinking that he should have put something on as soon as he noticed it was Kagome.  _ No wonder she was so nervous. Here I am flashing her the whole time. _ He had to admit that knowing she had seen him shirtless didn't bother him all that much. He just didn't like that it made her so uncomfortable. She had a brother.  _ You're not like her brother, you're a non-familial male, _ a small growling voice reminded him. “She has to have had boyfriends,” he muttered, slipping a shirt over his head, and quickly checking his hair and teeth in the mirror. As good as they were going to get, he decided, glowering at his reflection for a moment.

If he imagined the purple cheek markings, the blood-red eye and the long fangs gone, Inuyasha supposed he wouldn't really be all that bad to look at. But those things were dangerously persistent, a constant reminder that his blood wasn't going to wait forever. A reminder that he couldn't let Kagome get too close. Glancing out of his window at her setting things on the bench beside her from inside that suitcase she called a purse, he eyed her thoughtfully.  _ Having her close makes me feel calm, _ he thought. He took all the steps going down the stairs to think and take a deep breath before facing her again. With a shirt on this time.

They had a nice afternoon, much to Inuyasha’s surprise. Kagome’s mother made really good bentos and Kagome kept him entertained with stories about her family, especially her grandfather’s antics. “He seriously thought he could trap a tanuki with that?” he asked her, finding a smile on his lips. Kagome nodded emphatically, laughing softly. Inuyasha shook his head. “Tanuki are almost as tricky as kitsune, and no strangers to someone trying to catch them.”

“That’s what I tried to tell him, but he was so sure the ofuda would work, he wouldn’t listen.” She giggled. “He even used the good parchment. I almost hoped something would happen just because he was trying so hard. He ended up with drawings all over his face and his shoes in a tree,” she told him conspiratorially. With her leaning forward to whisper, he reciprocated without realizing it despite hearing her just fine. The scent of her under his nose made it twitch and he backed off in a panic, scratching the back of his neck with a slight cough.

“I… should…”

“Thank you for having lunch with me, Inuyasha.” The inuhanyou blinked. “I don’t want you to feel obligated, since I’m the new kid in town and all,” she explained, her eyes lowering to the bench between them. Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, that he liked spending time with her, but bit it back.  _ I’m a monster _ , he had to remind himself.  _ She’ll only get hurt. _ And that was the very last thing he wanted.

“No big deal,” he responded instead. “I got… laundry.” Inuyasha cringed internally at how absolutely lame that was. Kagome, being the sweet person she was, only smiled and wished him luck as she gathered up her bag. “Hey, Kagome?” She paused, looking over her bare shoulder.  _ Hot damn! That dress... _ “Thanks. For wanting to come by.”

Her smile was as sunny as that purse of hers and the dress she wore. “Anytime, Inuyasha!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An errand with Shippou gets a bit hairy for Kagome and she learns she's the focus of more attention in town than she wants. Dinner at the Higurashi house is a bit awkward when you weren't actually invited...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh haaaaay! Me again. 'Nother chapter. Daylight Savings is making me kooky. The End.

“But I wanna come in too!” Kagome laughed.

“I know Shippou, but I just need to grab a few things so I can make you lunch, isn't that more important?” He pouted a moment, but couldn't deny that lunch was more appetizing than running up and down the aisles of the grocery store. Kagome rolled down the windows enough to let in air and waved a sucker in front of her ward's nose. “Now you sit and be good and I'll be back right away, alright?” The promise of the candy was one of the best incentives she knew of.

Shippou thought about whining again to get his way, but then she might not give him the sucker after all. “Promise,” he muttered, crossing his little arms over his chest and sitting back in his seat Kagome smiled, tweaking his nose gently and running off to the store. Shippou watched her go with a sigh. “Better be something good for lunch,” he groused. After about twenty minutes he got bored of staring at the doors and looked around with a little more interest. Kagome wasn't supposed to take him out of the grounds very often, but she knew he enjoyed the change and so he was allowed to come with her to meet her family once in a while and got to go on shopping trips like these. 

He really liked Kagome's mother. She was everything moms were supposed to be. She always had a treat for him, she loved to give hugs, and she always smelled nice. He imagined that's how his mother had been. Shippou didn't remember much about his own mother. He'd been very young when she died. His father told him that he'd cried for days and it had taken his every last nerve and bit of strength to soothe him when he was hurting too. Shippou couldn't really imagine what his father had gone through at that time. Being nine didn't really give you much insight into the feelings of grown-ups. But with how sad his father could get sometimes now, he could only guess how bad it had been then.

Eventually Kagome came out of the store, looking a little lost for a moment as she looked for the car. Shippou stood to wave to her, slowing to a stop when he saw an unwelcome figure approaching her from the other end of the sidewalk. Shippou thought to call out to warn her but found himself too late when the man called out to her instead.

She was just standing there, as though she'd been waiting for him the whole time. He could hardly believe his luck! “Kagome, sweetheart,” he called as he crossed the distance to her. As she turned around quickly, anyone else would have caught the furtive glance around for someone else. The focused ookami youkai, on the other hand, was oblivious. He walked up to her, his arms open wide. Kagome artfully dodged him, looking around again before greeting him.

“Kouga-kun, how are you?”

“A helluva lot better now that I see you here. Where have you been?” he questioned merrily. Kagome searched for some way to explain to him that his exhaustive attempts at affection in public weirded her out. “Busy thinking about me?” he stage-whispered with a suggestive wink. 

The young woman laughed uncomfortably and took another step back. “Working actually. Been very busy. I'm on an errand you see, got to get back to work,” she spoke quickly, backing away with her large grocery bags hanging from each arm. She idly wondered if hitting Kouga in the head with one of them would stun him long enough for her to get away if she needed the distraction. He tried to follow her, offering to carry one of her bags but she shut down that idea immediately. “Shippou's in the car, I need to get back to him,” she said, turning and walking away as quickly as possible. “Nice to see you Kouga!” she called over her shoulder. He looked perplexed, but thankfully didn't follow her.

“Kagome! I thought you wouldn't make it back!” the young kitsune cried dramatically. Kagome smiled at him in relief, setting the grocery bags in the back seat.

“I'm fine,” she told him, handing him the well earned candy. Shippou took it happily, but simply held it for a few moments. 

“Kouga really thinks you like him, doesn't he?” Kagome, caught off guard by the question, stared at the boy in the seat next to her in startled silence. “But you don't, right Kagome? Because he's arrogant and stupid,” Shippou finished.

“It's not nice to say people are stupid, Shippou. But no, I don't like Kouga like he thinks I do.”

“My dad says Kouga is stupid. Dad says he doesn't understand how Kouga can walk around telling people you're his woman and no one tells him he's an idiot.” Again Kagome was startled. She hadn't known Kouga was announcing such things to others in the youkai community. She was also startled that Shippou's father was angry for her sake. He was slightly stand-offish with her for the most part, not in a cruel way, just in a way that made it clear that she was a nanny for his son and he paid her to do that job and nothing more. But that he obviously cared enough about her as a person to be upset by Kouga's antics was surprising and sort of sweet.

“It still isn't nice to say people are stupid or call them idiots. But that's very kind of your father to be worried about my reputation.” 

Shippou seemed pacified by her statement, finally opening his treat and licking it thoughtfully. “Hey Kagome? Do you know Uncle Inuyasha?” Kagome glanced at her charge out of the corner of her eye as she maneuvered the streets back to Shippou's house. She hadn't been aware that they were related in any way. “Well he's not  _ actually _ my uncle,” he backtracked, “but he used to play with me all the time and I haven't seen him in forever. Do you think we could go over to see him next time we go out? Dad says he's busy but I don't think he'd be too busy to see me, right?” Kagome made some sort of noncommittal response so as not to get his hopes up. She would have to have a discussion with his father when he got home.

“It is not my place to say what has happened to Inuyasha-sama.” Despite the firmness of his voice, Kagome could tell it was more a knee-jerk reaction than an actual denial.

Kagome sighed in frustration. “I understand, sir. But Shippou really seems to miss him and if there is something really wrong with his “uncle” don't you think he deserves to know the truth? He's not a baby anymore,” she explained hesitantly. She had never had to argue with her employer before and she didn't plan on this turning into an argument, but he was being so stubborn!

The kitsune in front of her stiffened slightly at his desk, his long tails twitching behind him. “No, he is no longer an infant, but Shippou is still my child and I will not risk his safety so that he can see Inuyasha.” Kagome snapped her mouth shut on her protest immediately, taking note of the edgy feeling he was giving off. He truly thought Inuyasha was somehow a danger to his son's life.

"I understand, sir." Not having received the answer she was hoping for, she hung her head, ready to turn and leave.

"You have befriended him, have you not?" Kagome jumped, not expecting any further discussion.  _ How did he know that? _ Maybe the neighbors had talked about them meeting and it had gotten around. Slowly she nodded. "He was once a fine man, and he still could be. He has... lost his way," Gensai told her. She faced him more fully, hoping for more. "It will take a miracle to save him from himself, a miracle we have all been waiting many months for." He released a tired sigh, slouching back in his chair a little. He had never spoken so freely with her and Kagome did not hesitate to take advantage of it.

"Do you know what is happening? I tried to ask him and he ignored me." Shippou's father grinned at the clear frustration in her voice.

"Lord Inuyasha can be a stubborn man. I only know that his youkai blood is strong, possibly too strong for his human side without something to balance it. It is slowly taking him over. We have been watching him since his parents passed, hoping it would not happen. Then more closely when it began late last year, hoping to find some way to stop it from progressing. But nothing has presented itself." He sighed more deeply. "I do wish that Shippou could see him, I know he misses their time together. But it is simply too dangerous. Now that Shippou is older, it is more likely that Inuyasha's youkai side will see him as another male youkai, a threat, not a pup to be protected. Especially with how fond he is of you." Kagome frowned. Who was he referring to? Inuyasha didn't seem particularly fond of her.  _ He must mean Shippou... right?  _ About to ask, she found herself being shooed off so Gensai could finish some work and then go up to put his son to bed. “Goodnight, Miss Higurashi.” She liked him, she really did, but he had a very frustrating habit of waving her off when she was just about to get good information out of him.  _ Darn that tricky fox! I'll figure it out. _

* * *

Despite her recent conversation with her employer, she hadn't had any intention of seeing Inuyasha any time soon. Knowing what was happening to him made her all the more curious, not fearful like she knew Gensai had hoped she would be. The questions she had wouldn't go over well and so, in order not to tempt herself, she had refrained from going to see Inuyasha when she really wanted to.

Needless to say, when she did see him, it was not by her own doing.

A low growl behind her as she sat on the marble bench under the tree in the backyard made her freeze, slowly lowering the book she'd been reading. The idea of a feral dog in her yard shocked her, since it seemed that the town was very well kept. She supposed it could have wandered in from out of town... But that was definitely youki she was feeling, prickling the hairs on the back of her neck. When a hard body pressed suddenly against her back, hot breath on her neck, she squealed, jumping to her feet, the pages of her book fluttering as it fell to the ground. Whipping around, Inuyasha's crouching form made her breath catch. 

His eyes were completely unfamiliar to her, one still red, the other gold, but he seemed unaware of where he was or what he was doing. He was bare from the waist up, nothing on his feet. Kagome fought the urge to stare at his chest, the markings she could now see sitting at his lower waist… "Inuyasha?" she whispered. His head tilted at the sound of her voice, his ears perking in her direction. His nose lifted slightly, as he scented her and their surroundings. Slowly, he stepped down from the bench, prowling closer to her. Kagome gulped deeply but stayed where she was. She wasn't stupid, she knew he was not himself and that his youkai instincts had a hold of him. Making any sudden movements would be a very bad idea on her part. "Inuyasha," she tried again, "What are you doing here?" He didn't respond, simply sniffing at her again.

When he could come no closer without actually touching her, he stopped. Finding herself holding her breath, Kagome waited for him to do something. His eyes had taken on a more aware tinge, his gaze quickly taking in her yard. "K'gome," he muttered. She smiled softly, nodding at him. After a few more moments of them standing like statues, only their eyes moving, Inuyasha took a gasping breath, stepping back a few steps. "Kagome?" he questioned her, his voice rough.

A sigh of relief left her. "Yes. You came to visit," she told him gently, seeing his disorientation and the embarrassment in his face. He knew he hadn't meant to come here, knew he might have scared her. "I invited you to dinner," she lied. His eyes sharpened on her immediately but she stood her ground. "Mama's working on it now, I was just going in to help her. Why don't you sit down and relax," she soothed, taking his elbow carefully and directing him to the bench under the tree where she had been sitting. She did nothing to acknowledge it, but she had felt him shaking under her fingertips and she wondered at it. She could hardly imagine losing complete control of oneself like that. "Do you want something to drink? Is tea ok?" When he only nodded dumbly, she smiled brightly, picking up her book and turning to go in the house.

"Kagome, I was just going to come and get you... What's wrong?" her mother asked, concerned when she saw the look on her daughter's face.

"Mama, you remember that man I told you about? The one who is part youkai..."

Her mother showed a small frown. "That Kouga who owns the coffee shop?" Kagome looked confused for a moment then shook her head adamantly.

"No no, not him. Inuyasha, the hanyou." This time her mother nodded in understanding. "I told you about how he's losing control to his youkai blood right?" Again, a nod. "Well he's sort of outside and I think I convinced him that I invited him to dinner and that's why he's here. He looked so confused and embarrassed, Mama." 

Smiling at her daughter's nature, Mrs. Higurashi waved away her explanations. "There's plenty, dear. He's feeling better?" she asked, her only show of concern.

"I think so. I was going to bring him some tea."  _ And a shirt... _ Her mother bustled off into the kitchen, going about making tea for their unexpected guest. Kagome went in search of a shirt that would fit him and wouldn’t be too obvious to her mother or grandfather. She didn’t need the extra questions about why she was loaning a shirt to a man who was supposedly invited to dinner. It took her a moment, but she found a band shirt she’d been given for free on campus some time ago and had never worn. It was huge on her, but it might fit him a bit better.

Kagome was surprised to find him still there when she went back outside. She honestly thought that he would realize she had lied to him and leave before she returned to avoid the embarrassment. Instead she found him standing beside the old tree that seemed to fill the majority of their backyard here. There had been a similar tree in their yard where they used to live. Kagome found it comforting, the similarity, and it had quickly become her favorite place. "This tree has been here since before my father was born." The statement caught her off guard. "It's a God tree, a tree of time. It's connected to all the other trees like it in the world."

"There was one just like it where we used to live," she told him, expressing her previously internal thoughts. Inuyasha finally looked up at her. She smiled softly, handing him the shirt. He slipped it over his head, filling it out more appropriately than she would. Kagome coughed slightly, then offered him the tea. He didn't drink any, simply sniffing it and holding the warm cup in his hands. "Mama said that dinner's almost ready, so we can head in soon."

"You didn't invite me to dinner, Kagome. You don't have to lie." 

She bit her lip sheepishly. "I was going to." His eyes slid sideways at her, taking in her honest face. "The first time I met you, I thought you might like to try my mother's cooking. She's one of the best." He grinned slightly, shaking his head. "Come on, I've already told her you're here. You might as well come in." 

He still hesitated, looking into her face for something; honesty, rejection, fear... She didn't know. But she tried to keep her face as open and inviting as possible, hoping he would accept the invitation. After several moments he finally nodded, following her when she took a step back to turn toward the house. Suppressing a smile, Kagome led him inside, leaving him in the living room to wait for dinner to be ready while she went to help her mother and try to intercept her grandfather before he saw Inuyasha. He was standing beside her mother, apparently already being informed about their guest. "Kagome, what's this about you inviting a youkai into our house? For dinner!" Kagome wasn't sure which he was more upset about, that she had invited Inuyasha in, or that he would be eating their food. Her grandfather was not a big man, but he certainly loved her mother's cooking. He also, having been the head priest of their tiny family shrine for years, was certain that all youkai were more or less evil and that it was his personal and holy duty to protect the world from their mischief. 

In direct rejection of his plans, he had no spiritual power whatsoever.

"Grandpa, he can hear you," she hissed, stepping forward to cut off her grandfather's further protests. "He's a perfectly nice person Grandpa. Please be kind to him.” Her grandfather eyed her for several moments in silence, trying to look thoughtful and yet stern at the same time. It made him look a bit constipated, but Kagome withstood the scrutiny. Flashing him a smile in hopes of gaining his approval, she was rewarded with a sigh and a nod. “Thanks Gramps.”

When she returned to the living room for Inuyasha, she found that the other two members of the family had discovered their guest. Buyo, the family feline, had taken up a post on the top of the armchair beside the couch, eying the hanyou with a look somewhere between distaste and fear. Her younger brother, on the other hand, had clearly taken a liking to Inuyasha and was in the process of interrogating the poor man about his life. "So being part youkai, it gets you lots of chicks, right? I mean, the guys at school... the ladies are hanging all over them!" Kagome blushed when she realized she had walked in at the worst moment. Inuyasha's cheeks were bordering on pink and when he realized she was in the room, his eyes flew to hers for a moment before flitting back to her brother's eager face.

"Souta!" He looked up at her, flushing a little himself at getting caught asking such a personal question. "Mama needs help setting the table." Untrue, but he didn't need to know that. He hopped to his feet, sliding a salute at Inuyasha, and scampered off to the kitchen to help. Kagome stood in silence, watching the back of the hanyou's head. His ears had swiveled backward, obviously focused on her. She smiled lightly while sighing out the tension she had been holding onto. No sense in making him more uncomfortable than he was already. “High school boys. Don't they think about anything else?” she chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. She stepped around the couch, grabbing Buyo and settling into the armchair. Inuyasha was watching her out of the corner of his eye. Buyo struggled in her hold, but she petted him between his ears, calming him down into a fat puddle of purring fur. She wasn't sure, but she could have sworn she saw Inuyasha's Adam's apple bob in a gulp. “I wanted to warn you about Gramps. He's... well...” she tried to think of a way to describe him without frightening her guest. “He thinks he can purify youkai,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper. Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly. “Not a drop of spiritual power in his body.” That seemed to relieve him some but he still looked very tense. “Don't worry. Mama's food calms him down,” she said with a giggle. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

Inuyasha tried to breathe slowly and through his mouth. Kagome's house smelled great, there was no denying that, but her particular scent was making him slightly crazy. She wasn't terribly close now, but she had been and it was continuing to bother him. It made him want to sit closer to her, but he knew that wasn't appropriate. He couldn't wrap his brain around why the urge was there in the first place. Something had changed, but he couldn't figure out what. “Kagome! Dinner,” a voice called from the other room. Inuyasha looked over at the girl in the room, taking her cue to stand and approach the kitchen. The strong smells of food overpowered Kagome's scent and he found himself relaxing slightly. “Welcome to our home. I hope you like spaghetti. It's Souta's night to choose dinner.” Kagome's mother was a lovely woman, with a sweet face, short brown hair and a welcoming scent.

“Thank you,” he murmured. She smiled softly in return, showing him to a seat next to the kid. Kagome sat across from him. The old man was already sitting at the head of the table, eying Inuyasha as he entered the kitchen and seemed to be the only one not thrilled he was there. Not that Inuyasha found that surprising.

“So, you're a youkai huh?”

“Gramps. Really?” Kagome sighed heavily, throwing an apologetic look at Inuyasha. He looked slightly amused at the old man's forthright comment. “We've established that Inuyasha is hanyou. Can we move on?” Letting out a harrumph for good measure, her grandfather turned his attention to his food.

“Have you lived here a long time?” her mother asked instead.

“My whole life,” Inuyasha replied. “My old man settled here a few hundred years ago.” That gained a few surprised looks from the other people at the table. “My mother was born here a long time ago.” Eying him speculatively, Kagome wondered how long ago he'd been born. Youkai could live thousands of years, though most never mentioned this fact. Given his appearance, and the fact that he was hanyou, he could be hundreds of years old himself and she'd never know. “You don't have to look at me like that, I'm only thirty,” he told her with a smirk, glancing at her over his glass as he took a sip of water. Kagome coughed in embarrassment but tried to smile.

“You don't look a day over twenty,” her grandfather grumbled. None of them were sure if that was an insult or a jealous compliment.

Trying to direct everyone's attention elsewhere, Kagome asked Souta how practice was going. He regaled them all with stories about the other players, the coaches, and one of his teammate's fathers who was one of those parents living vicariously through their child. “I mean, don't get me wrong, Shinnosuke's a decent player, but his dad thinks he has to be a world cup level forward. He's too hard on him,” he said with a sad shake of his head. “Poor guy talked about quitting the other day. Probably would if his dad wouldn't kill him for it.”

“Parents should want what is best for their children,” Kagome's mother said with a sly glance at her daughter, who happened to be focused on the meatball that was skipping around her plate, and then at him. Inuyasha did not miss the look and wondered at it. “Sometimes they don't realize that what they want and what is actually best aren't the same thing. Does Shinnosuke enjoy other things?”

Souta considered this a moment. “The guy can paint. He entered a few pieces in the school art show last month and won a few prizes.”

“You see? Perhaps his father should be more focused on the things that make his son happy.” This time a distinctly telling look was shot at the old man at the head of the table. Apparently the look was not lost on him and he pouted, digging into his food with more gusto to keep from saying anything. Again Inuyasha was startled by the not so subtle interplay in this family. Was... was Kagome's mother approving of him in some way and trying to convince her father-in-law that he should too?  _ Is she trying to say she thinks... she thinks _ **_I_ ** _ make Kagome happy? _ Inuyasha glanced up at the young woman across the table from him, part of the skittish meatball suspended halfway between her plate and her mouth. She clearly was thinking along the same lines as she looked from her mother to her grandfather, then looked at him with a sharp blush. Dropping his eyes to stare at the food on his own plate, or what little was left of it, he tried to breathe normally so as not to alert the rest of them that he was having a major emotional breakthrough at the dinner table.

Did he want to make Kagome happy? Was he even capable of such a thing? He knew he liked her scent, and clearly he'd been drawn to it when he wasn't aware of it. He felt calmer now than he had in months. What did it mean? Inuyasha was barely able to finish his food, despite how tasty it really was, so caught up in his contemplations. When everyone else was done, he quietly excused himself and thanked Kagome's mother again for the meal.

“You're welcome dear,” she told him with a smile. “You're welcome here any time.” His eyes widened and he froze for a moment before giving a small bow and heading toward the front door. He almost missed the fact that Kagome was beside him until she placed her hand over his on the doorknob. Both of them snatched their hands back, blushing and unable to look each other in the eye.

“Thank you for sitting through dinner with my family. I'm sure you were bored.”

“No. Your mom's a great cook.” Kagome laughed softly. “Thanks, Kagome,” he whispered, gently touching her wrist. They finally looked at one another, soft smiles on their faces. They both knew that he was thanking her for more than just the food. Her smile broadened and she nodded, opening the door and waving to him as he left. He heard her let out a sigh, but was afraid to turn back and see the look on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will admit that I modified this chapter slightly to fit @clearwillow/BrigidTheFae's picture after posting the teaser on Tumblr. Lemme know if you spotted it. 😈


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shippou's father visits Inuyasha for a man to man chat. Kagome gets the opportunity to spend time with Inuyasha's only friends.

He hadn't been near this house in months, hadn't been inside in just over a year. It looked more or less the same, perhaps a little less kept. It suited the owner rather well. Gensai took a deep breath before approaching the buzzer. He thought it unlikely that the occupant of the house didn't know he was there, but he decided the formality was necessary. The obnoxious noise was audible from inside and he winced at the loud curse that followed it. The curtains in the front room on the lower level swept aside for a moment before falling back into place. There was a pregnant pause before the front door opened and the figure of the man he'd come to see walked through it. He waited for him to approach the gate before attempting to speak to him. “Inuyasha-sama,” he greeted. The hanyou simply nodded, his eyes skeptical. “I don't mean to impose, but I'd like to speak with you... perhaps inside?” he added when no move was made to let him in.

After contemplating it for a few moments the younger youkai seemed to decide it was worth it and opened the gate enough to let him through before closing it again. Gensai took a moment to look around before following his reluctant host into his living room. It was clean, but evidently unused to much company. “What do you want, fox?” The growl in his voice, while intense, was not intentional and Gensai ignored it as best he could.

He looked over the late lord's young son. There was very little of the pup he'd known in this young man, anger and pain having altered him in ways he couldn't grasp. “You have been showing an interest in my young human employee.” The directness of his statement visibly caught Inuyasha off guard. Before he could speak to deny it, he pressed on. “I feel your... interest is returned. However, for the safety of all involved, I do not believe it wise for it to be pursued.” Inuyasha gaped at him like a fish for a while, his overly fanged mouth opening and closing.

“Why are you worried about Miroku all of a sudden? Been friends with the letch longer than he's worked for you! Hell, I got him the job.” Gensai's eyes narrowed at him, making him uncomfortable. So they weren't talking about Miroku? Inuyasha realized that he must have missed something rather important in the line of the conversation but wasn't sure what it was.

Gensai fought the urge to roll his eyes at the young man across from him. He knew his uncontrolled youkai blood made him unreachable sometimes, but not stupid... Perhaps he was in a more Inuyasha-like state than his eyes, markings and fangs implied. “I was referring to Shippou's nanny, Higurashi-san.” Inuyasha's one golden and one reddened eye stared at him as though he'd lost his mind. “She has already asked to bring Shippou here to see you, but I expressed to her that I would not allow it.” His wide-eyed stare turned into a scowl. “I wish it were not the case, but I cannot risk my kit's safety. I would ask that if she were to ask you to see him, that you would refuse her politely. She knows well my rules, but she is stubborn.”

“You got a lotta nerve,” he growled. “Kit was like my own pup.”

“Yes, I know. He misses you terribly. But I am his sire, not you, and your... affliction has made it too dangerous to allow you to see him. I thought you already knew that.”

“Keh.” He looked away for a moment. “What's it got to do with the wench?” Gensai could see the way his whole body tensed, ready to defend himself. 

He felt for the boy, he really did. He couldn't really imagine what he was going through and didn't really want to. What he hated the most was how little he could do to actually help, and that he seemed to be causing him more pain by trying to protect those under his employment and care. “Higurashi-san has already become an important part of our household, a vast improvement over anyone else I have hired to look after Shippou. He adores her, and I have to say I am rather fond of her myself.” He barely moved in time when he sensed the hanyou's anger and the fist that flew at him. While he had half expected a response like this, he hadn't anticipated how quickly the response would come. “Inuyasha-sama?”

“You stay the hell away from her, fox.” The threat was clear and the possessiveness behind it plain.

“I have no intention of going near her, pup,” he replied. His curiosity was sated, but he slightly regretted the method he'd chosen by which to do so. “Higurashi-san is very young, very human and very much a powerful miko. She holds no interest for me.”

Inuyasha froze, staring at his long-time friend in awe and confusion. “So what? Being human ain't a big deal and she doesn't use her powers on anyone, not even the mangy wolf when he deserves it.” Gensai remained balanced on the arm of the couch where he'd landed, watching his almost-attacker with his tails twitching behind him. The boy was faster than the last time he'd taken a swing at him in a playfight, though that had been years ago. He was lucky he'd been on the lookout. And that the old adage about the speed of foxes held true. “Why the hell are you here, old man?”

Gensai slowly sat on the couch arm, trying to look as calm as possible. “Your... interest in Higurashi-san is quite obvious.”

“I ain't interested in her.”

The kitsune ignored the younger youkai's retort. “As I stated, it appears as though it is not one-sided. I simply worry for her safety.”

“I would never hurt her,” Inuyasha responded quickly, then stepped back to pace the other side of the living room. “Not on purpose.”

“No one thinks you would ever try to intentionally hurt anyone, Inuyasha-sama.” He sighed at the snort that erupted in response. “Despite what you may believe, we have faith in you, my boy.” The inuhanyou's head swiveled in his direction, his eyes slightly wide in surprise. “You will find your balance. Higurashi-san might be of some assistance, but please be careful with her.” Leaving his meaning intentionally vague, Gensai rose to leave.

“First you want me to stay away from her, now you're telling me to keep her around? You really are a tricky fox.”

The older youkai grinned without turning. “I see you have indeed been talking to my young employee. She seems to think I am rather tricky as well. She's not a quiet grumbler.” Inuyasha chuckled behind him, following him to the front door.

* * *

The rain had forced her to take refuge in the coffee shop on her way home. At first, it hadn't seemed all that bad. Dry place, hot coffee, warm pastry. Now she wished she had just kept walking despite the rain. Kouga hadn't been there when she first scurried in. She'd checked. Feeling safe, she had slipped into a comfy chair, waiting for the rain to subside some before making another attempt to go out. The woman who worked afternoons in the shop had come to get her, offering to bring over her usual order. Kagome had grinned widely, accepting the proffered coffee and croissant. The two had chatted about the awful weather for a few moments before another customer came in and the barista was called away. Kagome had sat, watching the rain trail down the windows and flood the streets, glad she was no longer out in it.

“Kagome! Where have you been?” She froze at the sound of his voice, slowly turning her head to stare at the dark-haired ookami youkai. “I haven't seen you out in weeks!” He came over, sitting on the arm of her chair and seriously invading her personal bubble. “Did you get caught in the storm?” His fingers reached out to twist a lock of her damp hair. Kagome flinched back, gaping at his forward behavior. Not that she should have been that surprised. He had never seemed to take the hint that not only was she not interested, but that he made her terribly uncomfortable.

“I was working overnights while Gensai was out of town.”

Kouga snorted. “Got you on a short leash, doesn't he?”

Kagome gritted her teeth, restraining herself from responding violently. She was not a violent person, had never hit anyone in her life, but Kouga made her want to slap him sometimes. “No. I enjoy spending time with Shippou and it's a favor to him, not an obligation.” Looking up a moment, she saw that the storm had lightened some. “I gotta get home.” She stood, gathering her bag and stepping around him to set her cup and plate in the bus tub. She could feel Kouga following her around, even stepping out after her onto the sidewalk.

“Kagome! Wait up,” he called, taking long strides to catch up to her. The young woman again fought the urge to do the ookami youkai harm, trying to ignore him. “There's a concert at the bar a few blocks down tonight.” He spoke like he completely expected her to go with him.

“I have dinner with my family.”

“But it's later. After dinner.” Kagome stopped abruptly, turning to face the persistent pest and opening her mouth to protest him following her. She choked on her words, a pair of eyes glowing out at her from the alley beside her. “What?” A low growl reverberated between the brick walls, the eyes narrowing and coming closer. Kouga sniffed and returned the growl. “What are you doing here Mutt-face?” There was no verbal response, and Inuyasha didn't seem to acknowledge the wolf. His eyes, while hazy, seemed to only see Kagome, his focus on her and her alone. “Hey, I'm talking to you, dog-breath!”

“Calling him names is not going to help, Kouga,” Kagome hissed. “Inuyasha?” she spoke softly. His ears perked up at her call, one swiveling toward Kouga, but his attention still on her. He took several steps closer. “Yash, what are you doing here?” she asked, stepping toward him as well. Kouga reached out to stop her and Inuyasha instantly reacted, snarling at him and darting between them. Kagome held her breath as Kouga flinched back, growling at the hanyou. “Kouga, back off,” she warned.

“I'm not going to let this beast touch you.”

“He's not a beast.” She slowly and gently, so as not to startle him, touched Inuyasha's shoulder. He seemed to settle some at her touch, the bristling of his nerves calming. “Inuyasha?” she tried again. His ears flipped backward to listen to her, but his gaze remained on Kouga whom he clearly viewed as a threat. “It's alright, Kouga was just going back to his store.”

“No I...”

“Yes, you were,” she interrupted firmly. She was finally able to get him to turn to her, staring into his eyes. Part of her felt that he recognized her while he still didn't seem to know where he was or what he was doing. He made a soft crooning noise at her, his face lowering some to sniff near her ear. His breath was warm and soft despite the tension in his body. Kagome's eyelids fluttered, her breath quickening. Displeased that he was so close, Kouga snarled at the hanyou. This brought Inuyasha's focus back onto the wolf and he too snarled. “Kouga, go on.” He seemed ready to refuse again but as Kagome took hold of the hanyou's arm, calming him down, he finally took the hint and backed away slowly. Inuyasha stepped backward, colliding softly with her. She could feel the decrease in his aura, the confusion he was suddenly feeling. “Inuyasha.” He spun around to face her, his eyes wide. “It's ok. You're walking me home,” she told him, carefully taking hold of his elbow.

“Kagome!” The sound of the wolf's voice made Inuyasha's head whip toward him and she struggled to keep a hold on him when his eyes seemed to lose focus and his fangs lengthened slightly.

“Bye Kouga!” Her hold remained firm and Inuyasha slowly lost interest in his rival, walking alongside her as though it was what he had been doing all along. “Are you alright?” she asked finally after they were more than halfway to her house. He looked down at her, the embarrassed look in his face painful to see. “You didn't do anything bad,” she assured him. He relaxed a little, but she could tell he still hated himself for what was happening to him.

Kagome felt her heart still racing and she tried to breathe deeply to calm it. That had been close.  _ He was so close... _ she thought, remembering how the hanyou had sniffed her. A little thrill trailed down her spine and Inuyasha stopped walking, stopping her so abruptly that she faced him. Kagome's eyes widened when she realized he could smell the changes in her mood. He looked like he wanted to say something and she braced herself for the embarrassment. Asve opened his mouth, a car pulled up next to them and Kagome stared as a familiar figure jumped out of the passenger's side. “Kagome,” he said in surprise, stopping short. “Inuyasha?” Miroku's face displayed his shock at seeing them together and seemingly in a more than friendly way. Kagome looked down at where she held Inuyasha's arm, dropping it quickly. “Are you... alright?” the young human man asked slowly, looking from one to the other.

“Keh. Just walking the wench home. The Flea-bag's been bothering her again.” His voice was deep and gravelly but coherent.

Miroku looked skeptical but said nothing about his doubts. “I see. Would you like a ride instead? It's rather wet.” Kagome hesitated, looking to Inuyasha for his opinion. He looked down at her in turn, clearly expecting her to decide. “Come on you two, Sango's not going to wait forever.” Kagome let Inuyasha gently push her into the back seat, sliding in next to her.

“Inuyasha, what... Hi,” the woman driving said in surprise. Kagome blushed, ducking in her seat. She looked to Miroku who quickly introduced them. “You're the new nanny? You're younger than I thought. Nice to meet you.”

“You're Miroku's wife?”

“Why do you sound so shocked?” Miroku said, his tone hurt.

“Keh. She's too good looking for you, that's why.” Kagome stifled a smile while Sango laughed merrily. Miroku slouched in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. Glancing over at Inuyasha, she saw the tiny grin hanging around his lips. She liked this teasing side of him. He rarely smiled, let alone joked, although she had seen him do it a few times. These were obviously close friends. “You eat yet?” he asked her. Kagome jumped at the question, then shook her head softly. He dug through his pockets, making a small sound of triumph when he found his wallet. “Hang a left at the next street Sango, there's a take-out place there.” He waved his wallet so she could see it in the rear view. She shrugged, complying with his request. They all got dinner to go and went back to Inuyasha's to eat.

Kagome was pleased to get to know her co-worker, the only one she usually even saw in the house, and his wife better. Miroku was a flirt and and a comedian but he clearly loved his wife very much. Sango was a youkai exterminator, a job that unfortunately remained from a much older time for the safety of everyone. “Occasionally we still have to put down or seal a rogue youkai...” She paused, clearly avoiding looking at Inuyasha. He too had looked away, his shoulders slumped in a defeated pose. “But that doesn't happen all that often. We work with the youkai and holy communities to try to keep that from happening.” Kagome quickly tried to change the subject.

“How long have you been married?”

Miroku smirked, tucking his wife against his side. “Two years. Inuyasha here stood up with me. I was a wreck.” This seemed to lighten Inuyasha's mood, along with a touch on his arm from Kagome. “I almost walked out because I thought I was going to lose my lunch.”

“All the drinking you did the night before didn't help,” Inuyasha said with a smirk, settling more comfortably into his chair. “Could barely wake your ass up in the morning to get you dressed.” They all shared a laugh over that, Miroku looking sheepish.

Sango looked at her husband and then the clock. “We'd better head home, it's getting late.” She sounded reluctant to go. Kagome too looked at the clock and realized she hadn't even told her mother she wasn't coming home for dinner. She jumped up with the other two. “We can give you a ride...”

“It's in the opposite direction. I'll get her home.” Miroku and Sango flashed him a surprised look but nodded, their faces reflecting some anxiety. They said their goodbyes, going out to the car. Kagome watched them go from the front step with a small smile on her face. Inuyasha stood behind her, leaning against the door frame. “Give your mom a call, then I'll walk you home.” Kagome turned, not realizing how close he was, colliding softly with his chest. He caught her around the waist with his free arm but didn't let go right away. Kagome fought down all the feelings she'd been confronted with earlier, knowing he'd smell it immediately. “Hey,” he whispered, a tiny smirk on his mouth. Her answering grin was timid. She wondered if he might kiss her.

Kagome realized her mistake in even thinking about it when his nostrils flared and his eyes focused on her more intently. “I'll just... I'll just go make that phone call.” Reluctantly he let her go, listening to her pad into the other room to call home. He heard her explain to her mother that she'd met up with some friends and gotten dinner but that she'd be home shortly. “Yes, of course Inuyasha too,” he heard her say. He could hear the blush in her voice. “Mama!” He chuckled at her outrage over whatever her mother had said to her. She came out a few minutes later with her things in hand. “I tried to clean up a little,” she told him, a faint blush still on her cheeks. She looked beautiful.

“Keh. Don't worry about it. I can take care of it when I get back.” He motioned her ahead of him, locking the door behind them. T _ ake her home, take her home, take her home _ , he repeated to himself as they walked, trying to keep himself from doing the opposite and taking her back into his house instead. Her attraction startled him even as it made his body react in kind. Not that his body didn't react to her all on its own as it was. He couldn't go down that path, not so soon. Kagome deserved his respect and his admiration for befriending him even in his current state, but he couldn't push himself on her no matter how attracted to him she might be. She could be attracted physically but not want to be.  _ Not want to be with a dirty half-breed like me _ . He sighed, listening as she told him about her brother's football team at school. Apparently the kid had been training harder and had scored a few goals in their last game.

Just listening to her voice made him feel more at ease, despite his inner struggle. She made him feel at peace by her side. He hadn't ever felt that way with  _ her _ . Nervous and edgy was more like it. But things were different between them. They had never been friends. Co-workers and then in a relationship, yes, but never friends. He looked down into Kagome's face when she paused and gave her a little smile. She returned it easily, her lovely face lighting up at his attention. Never had  _ she _ looked at him like that.

“Thanks for walking me home.” He nodded faintly. “And for dinner too. Sango and Miroku are great.” Inuyasha grinned. He choked a little when she abruptly hugged him around the middle, her face pressed against his chest for a moment. Before she could pull away, he wrapped his arms around her and held her there a little longer.

“You're welcome,” he whispered, leaning down to gently nuzzle her hair. Her arms squeezed tighter and then he had to let her go. Her face showed her embarrassment and pleasure at the embrace, but she said nothing, giving a little wave and skipping up to her front door. He watched until she was inside before heading back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be part of my contributions for #Inuyasha White Day on March 14th, 2020! Keep your eyes peeled!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha's on the loose again, but this time with a purpose. If only he could remember what it was...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the chapter you've been wanting! Well... mostly. CW: SMOOOOOOT

He hadn't meant to even leave the house but, again, his blood was taking a firm grip on his mental reins. Shaking himself from his stupor, he sniffed, trying to figure out where he was and why he might be there. The main street that ran through the shopping district in town lay sprawled out before him. It was late, and there were very few people out. At first, only the insistent burning of his blood through his veins made it clear that he had come out for a reason. Then a scent on the breeze lifted his nose to the air. He knew that scent, but he couldn't place it with his head feeling so muzzy. And now it was being overwhelmed by the sourness of fear and the foul stench of wolf. Snarling, he passed a few stores, their windows dark, following the light fragrance which tickled his nose.

“Kouga, I really don't appreciate what you've been telling people,” she was saying to the mangy wolf, her arms crossed over her chest in a closed gesture. “You're a great guy and all,” a lie he could hear as well as smell on her, “but I have no interest in you. Please stop telling people...” She trailed off, her eyes locking with his over the wolf's shoulder. “Inuyasha,” she breathed in a tone that sent his blood rushing all over again.

Kouga whipped around, staring angrily at the interruption. His eyes narrowed when he noticed the state the other male was in. “You had better back off, Mutt,” he growled, lowering himself as though ready to attack. Inuyasha barely paid him any attention, walking right up to Kagome and taking her delicate elbows in his palms. She relaxed at his silent request, her hands dropping down until he was able to gently hold her wrists. “Hey Mutt-face! Get your hands off my woman!” The wolf's statement sent a shiver of fury down his spine, causing him to snarl fiercely and finally turn to face him.

“Kagome... not your woman,” he growled. He barely had control over his own voice, let alone the faculties to speak properly.  _ Back off, _ he barked. Kouga looked surprised. The two had been fighting over something or other since they were both pups and, while this was no exception, this was a different matter for Inuyasha. Something made him physically ill at the thought of Kouga possessing Kagome in any way. But since the change had been overtaking him more frequently, he had been more and more like a beast, with no real mental capacity to speak of. This was a new development for the wolf as well.

“You understand me?” he said lowly.

“Understand you fine. Moron,” he quipped, growling when Kouga lunged forward at the insult.

“Wait!” Kagome cried, coming between them and halting Kouga mid stride. “Kouga, I think it's best that you left this alone. Inuyasha, let's get you home, alright?” Kagome swallowed a squeak when large clawed hands made their way to her hips, settling there to reassure her, but only proving to make her thoughts scatter. “Um... Inuyasha... He would never hurt me,” she whispered, almost more to herself than to the wolf. “I just need to get him home and everything will be fine.” 

Kouga continued to snarl at the other man, wanting to jump on him and pound him into the ground for touching what he considered his. But Kagome was right. Twice now he'd seen the mutt with Kagome in his altered state and not once had he made any sort of threatening gesture toward her. He even seemed to come out of the haze of his blood a little. “Don't think this is over mutt. Kagome, I'm not comfortable with this at all...”

Kagome shook her head in frustration, balling her fists at her sides “I don't care if you're comfortable, Kouga!” she snapped. “It isn't any of your business!” The ookami youkai looked as though he'd been hit on the nose with a newspaper and told to sit in the corner. Inuyasha on the other hand was smirking behind Kagome's back, proud of her for finally standing up to the wolf's presumptuous attitude. “We're going.” She turned, forcing Inuyasha to release her hips, and marched toward the way the hanyou had come, taking a hold of his shirt collar and dragging him along behind her. He allowed it until they were out of sight of the wolf, then growled, taking her hand from his clothing and spinning her around. Her breath left her in a sharp gasp when he quickly, but gently, brought her back up against the wall alongside them. “Inuyasha! What...”

“Silence.” Her teeth clicked together, her brown eyes wide with surprise. “Have to know why your scent...” He couldn't even figure out what it was about her scent that he needed to know. It wasn't that it was nice, or that he liked it. Something deeper about her scent made his mind work when it usually didn't and drew him out of his house when he wasn't even aware of it. It was as if his youkai side knew she would calm him and he sought her out. But that didn't make sense. His youkai side only wanted two things. To kill and destroy. Sniffing along the line of her collar and up toward her ear he felt her freeze, trying to remain as still as possible. He smirked slightly. She was so innocent, another part of her scent that he couldn't help noticing. She was so pure, so untouched. “Virginal,” he whispered roughly.

“Excuse me?” Kagome squeaked, finally trying to push him back from her. He growled lowly, but allowed her to put the distance between them. “I don't think that's any of your business,” she whispered, blushing and averting her eyes. Inuyasha grinned. She seemed embarrassed by it, and yet he couldn't help hearing the way her heart had begun beating faster, smell the way her scent changed.

“Is now,” he murmured, pressing himself up against her once more. She gasped in shock, her full lips opening and calling to him. Now in the moment, feeling himself burning to kiss her, taste her, anything... Maybe killing and destroying weren't the only things that drove his youkai side. And despite feeling driven by his blood, the rational side of himself, the human and hanyou part of his mind, had no objections to what his youkai had in mind. He had been with Kagome when he wasn't completely losing it. He knew her scent, her face, her aura. He felt the comfort she exuded, the smile that always wanted to fight its way onto his lips when he was with her, the complete calm he felt in her presence. It wasn't just his youkai side that was attracted to her.

“Inuyasha...” she whispered just before he pressed his mouth to hers, finally tasting her. She again stiffened in surprise, but the curl of something interesting in her scent made him press on, pulling her into his arms and away from the wall. She stumbled into his embrace, leaning into him. “Inuyasha,” she murmured again when he pulled away to let them breathe. He smirked slightly, feeling triumphant that she seemed to have enjoyed his kiss. Kagome opened her eyes, staring up at him. “Your face!” His face?  _ What about my face? _ He frowned. “Your marks are gone... on the left side.” He lifted one hand to his cheek as if to feel what she meant. Gone? But since his youkai blood had begun creeping further into his consciousness, his appearance had been changed as well. “Both your eyes are gold,” she whispered in awe, also reaching up to touch his cheek.

“They are?” He startled slightly at the smooth tone of his own voice. He even felt relatively normal. “One has been red for almost a year now,” he murmured. She commented that they had both been red when he showed up. Without another thought, he began pulling Kagome along behind him. She jogged to keep up with his pace and hardly hesitated when he opened his arms to her to carry her over the wall onto his property. He changed tactics when he discovered the front door was locked. He didn't have his keys and realized that he had likely leaped out of his bedroom window. This time she did hesitate when he offered her his back to piggy-back her up. “I won't drop you.”

“It's not that...” She gestured to her knee-length pencil skirt.

“Oh. Well I can't manage the window with you in my arms.” He whipped her toward him, forcing her to hike up her skirt or risk ripping it when he scooped her knees up. She barely caught onto his shoulders in time to keep from falling backward.

“Inuyasha!” she chastised him.

Grinning, the hanyou shifted her a moment, making her squeak, before launching himself into the tree near his window and then landing lightly on the wide windowsill. He wasn't going to mention that he could have gone up and opened the window on his own, then unlocked the front door. Perching on the edge, he let go of Kagome's knees, which made her clench them tightly against his hips to stay on his back, then slid the window open wider so they could both fit through. Once inside, Kagome slipped off of his back, leaning against the wall and holding her hand to her chest. “You alright?” he asked, slightly concerned, but smirking at her breathless, rumpled form.  _ Definitely not going to mention the front door. _

Kagome took a moment to glare at him, but nodded. As she finally calmed enough to look around, he remembered why he'd come here in the first place. He turned sharply, walking into the bathroom and flipping on the light. He stared at himself in amazement. A purple stripe lined only one of his cheeks, both of his eyes were the golden amber he'd been born with and his fangs had retreated to a normal length. No wonder he could speak more easily. A soft presence made itself known, Kagome's face sliding into view in the mirror beside his own. "Is it permanent?"

"I don't even know what caused it," he murmured. A half-truth. Clearly kissing Kagome had made his youkai blood retreat even further than it did just having her near. His claws, still longer than was useful in his everyday life, tapped on the countertop. He turned to look at Kagome, watching her watch him. He moved forward, wanting to know if kissing her again would remove the other signs of his youkai side, or if it would take something more. She didn't move, but she looked uncertain. "I want to try something..."

And try he did. Pressing her into the bathroom wall, careful to move her away from the towel rack, he kissed her again. She didn't protest, but responded timidly to his overtures. Her lips parted slightly, allowing him to slip his tongue between them, pulling it back when she flinched. Had she never been kissed like that before? He smirked, gently trying the action again. This time she wasn't so surprised and even tried to return the gesture. Groaning, Inuyasha pressed his body closer, feeling Kagome's soft curves giving under the pressure of his harder planes. "Inuyasha," she gasped when he moved from her lips, down her jaw to nip at her throat. The hanyou growled his approval at the sound of her voice. "Stop," she whispered, though she didn't push him away. He slowed, but didn't stop right away, eventually leaving the soft and tasty skin of her throat and shoulder to look into her eyes. The pupils of her dark brown eyes were dilated wide, making her look dazed. "Don't do this just to... to..."

Frowning at what she was implying, realizing what it must have sounded like to her, Inuyasha raised one hand to gently touch her cheek. His claws had dulled some, though they were stupidly long. Kagome didn't flinch away. "I wouldn't do anything just because I thought it would push back my blood," he told her, leaning forward to nuzzle her hair, hold her in a loose embrace. "Your scent draws me in," he whispered, allowing his lips to brush against her forehead, "your aura makes me feel comfortable. I like being around you Kagome."

She let out a breathy sigh. "I like being around you too." Inuyasha scoffed, moving back for a moment. She had only ever seen him as he had been in the last year, sarcastic, aggressive, angry, frightened. How could she truly enjoy his company? "I do. You... you make me feel safe."

"I could tear you apart," he muttered, wanting to deny that he liked making her feel safe. It made him feel stronger. He said it, but he knew it wasn't true. He could never hurt a hair on her head.

Her feet brushed across the tile, her shoes forgotten by the window, the sound drawing Inuyasha's attention back to her face. "No you couldn't. You're physically capable of it, maybe. But I don't think you could let yourself do it. You're good in here," she told him, strength in her voice as she pressed her hand to his chest, "so don't try to tell me you would or could hurt me. I'll never believe it." Inuyasha took her hand, feeling how tiny it seemed in his own. The softness of her skin further drew him in, forcing a rough breath through his lips. Her gaze dropped to where he held her hand, something strange in her eyes. "But physical pain isn't the only kind of pain, is it?"

"No." He of all people knew that. He had been left destroyed too many times in his life to try to deny that emotional pain could be worse in the long run. "I wouldn't do that Kagome." Strange how easy it was to swear he would never hurt her when he had just tried to tell her he could rip her to pieces. She smiled a little wryly at his chest, possibly thinking the same thing.

When she finally looked up at him again, Inuyasha wasn't prepared for the heat in her eyes or the way it made him feel. His mouth was on hers again before he even knew what he was doing, his free hand clasped to the back of her neck as though afraid she would back away. She never struggled, not even when he had her pressed back into the wall once more. Her body melted against his, her arm coming around his waist to hold him close as well. Inuyasha felt like he'd lost control of his senses again but in a completely different way. He had never felt this way before, not in all the time he had spent with  _ her _ , the one who gave him the pain he held everyday, the reason he had become a monster... Something about Kagome made him feel like an animal and like he could fly at the same time. It was disconcerting, and yet he couldn't focus on the thought long enough to try to analyze it, his fingers having woven themselves into Kagome's dark hair. A small whimper left her throat, making him growl softly in response, pulling away when he realized he might be hurting her. "Don't stop," she breathed.

He wanted to listen. He wanted to keep kissing her until neither one of them could take it anymore. He wanted to take her into his bedroom and see what happened, just as he had the night Miroku and Sango had been over. But that was exactly why he couldn't listen. His control was slipping faster than his heart was beating and if he didn't stop now he wouldn't be able to. Inuyasha didn't think Kagome wanted that... Nor did he think she realized how badly he wished she did. "I have to," he growled. Kagome's brown eyes lifted to his, faintly dazed. He suppressed the intense urge to kiss her again, taking a step back while still gripping her hand. "If I don't, you won't like where we end up..." The answering flash of emotion in Kagome's eyes made him shiver. She seemed quite aware of where they might be headed and her face held none of the fear that he had expected.

"Whatever you want, Inuyasha." He could tell she was going for nonchalant, but the sting of rejection in her scent as well as the residual spice of her arousal tickled his sense of smell. She thought he was going to hurt her after all.

Growling lightly, he pulled her back against his chest, drawing her to him instead of caging her against the wall. "Listen Kagome, I think what I want is pretty obvious. What you want may be entirely different. That's a big step, so I get it." Her eyes turned fiery, lashing out at him. He smirked faintly, knowing that she was ready and willing to stand up for herself, something he loved about her.

"You listen, you overbearing jerk! I want the same thing, don't try to act all noble now," she snarled, jabbing her free finger into his chest. When Inuyasha didn't respond with similar anger, Kagome was startled, looking up at him curiously. His now golden eyes took on an amused glint, one corner of his mouth lifting to show one sharp fang. "What?" she snapped.

Without an answer, Inuyasha lifted her against his chest, setting her on the end of his bed when he got there. He had to push the fabric of her skirt up and for his body to fit between her knees. Her arms clung around his neck as his hands pushed down into the mattress to hold them up. She kissed him nearly as fiercely as he had been kissing her, feeding him her acceptance with soft sighs and noises from the back of her throat. He felt a shiver of excitement trail down his spine, following her fingertips. “Kagome,” he murmured, leaving her mouth to kiss and nip her neck, a smile lifting his lips when she gasped and clung to him more tightly. “I didn't think you'd like being bitten, Ka-go-me,” he teased her while repeating the action. Her response was a fierce look before she nudged his head to the side. Inuyasha closed his eyes and growled deeply when she not only nipped him, but gave him a hard bite for good measure. His skin felt like it was electrified.

“I should have known you would like it...” she whispered, her breath ghosting over the slightly wet spot where her mouth had been, “rougher.” The slight growl to her voice nearly had him panting. He knew she was a virgin, so he had anticipated her being shy and unsure. This was an unexpected turn. He looked at her, really looked at her hard, and tried to see any trace of deception in her. She grinned a little sheepishly, her cheeks darkening slightly. “Just because I haven't done it doesn't mean I haven't heard about it or thought about it.”

“Pervert,” he smirked. She flushed indignantly but he kissed her hard to keep her from protesting. She nipped his lip in retaliation but continued to kiss him back. The repeated use of her teeth was doing incredible things to his body and Inuyasha wasn't sure why. 

This was so completely different than any encounter with  _ her _ .  _ She _ had always wanted him to be gentle, careful.  _ She _ was always worried about his claws, his teeth, his strength... Any time he made noise, he could smell how  _ she _ worried that someone would hear. If he growled,  _ she _ pulled away... He couldn't remember a time that he'd actually gotten  _ her _ to remove anything more than her top.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome murmured, her voice drawing him out of the confused and dark place he'd been going. Her face showed her concern, but her scent was still extremely aroused. He smirked lightly at her. How could he have allowed himself to become distracted from Kagome, from this moment? He'd been so caught up in how different it was that he wasn't enjoying that it was happening at all! “What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” he whispered, his fingers finding the zipper that traced the swell of her hip. Her eyes glowed in the dim light from the moon through his window, her lips seeming to sparkle from the moisture of their kisses. He wanted more and Kagome readily gave it. Her hand gently pressed against his wrist encouraging him to pull down the zipper he had been toying with. He looked into her eyes for confirmation, quickly following through when he saw the heated look there. She helped him wiggle her out of the garment, Inuyasha relishing how much stronger her scent had become. Her top had been tucked into the waistband and now fluttered open slightly at her hips. Her plain purple underwear was on display below her navel, windowed by the edges of her shirt. “Damn,” he murmured, “You are so... beautiful.” Kagome smiled softly, stretching her arms above her head and clearly making herself comfortable on his bed. Now her scent would be all over his sheets. A pleased growl rose in his chest as he crawled toward her.

His eyes were practically luminescent in the faint moonlight and Kagome couldn't get the notion of a wild animal stalking her out of her mind. It was thrilling and a little scary at the same time. She had never been this intimate with anyone before, but it felt so right to be with him this way that she barely gave it a second thought. Inuyasha made her want to go much further than she thought she felt comfortable with, made her want to say things to him she had never dreamed of speaking aloud. Would he keep going if she actually asked him to stop? She didn't think so, but not knowing how in control of himself he might be made the thrilling feeling all the stronger. “Do you only growl like that when you're turned on?” Her question froze him for a second, making her freeze as well. Had she gone too far?

“You going to stick around long enough to find out?” His voice was strange, but he had begun moving closer again.

“I might like it,” she hedged. His answering smirk made her relax again. “You planning on keeping me around long enough to find out?” she retorted finally when he was leaning over her, his hair sliding over his shoulder to fall beside her head on the bed.

He laughed softly. “You aren't going anywhere any time soon, Kagome,” he murmured against her throat, his tongue slipping across her skin. His fingers began toying with the buttons on her shirt, brushing against her skin as more of it was revealed. "You're going to be in this bed all night if I have anything to say about it." The spike in her scent nearly made him woozy and he grinned. His little Kagome liked to be told what was going to happen to her? Good. He liked telling her. "In fact, I may keep you here all day tomorrow too. You might not be able to walk afterward," he hissed against her throat, nipping the delicate skin there. He heard her breath catch, a feral smile pulling at his mouth as he finally unbuttoned the last tiny pearl-colored button on her shirt. About to slide the fabric apart, he was startled when she stopped him, sitting up and pressing her hands to his hips.

Kagome smiled softly, seeing the confusion in his face. He thought she was stopping him. Curling her fingers in his shirt, she pulled it up until he got the hint, allowing her to pull it up and over his head, careful of his ears. "Don't think you get to have all the fun," she whispered, tentatively placing kisses on his chest and tracing her nails down his stomach until they just lightly scraped the softer skin above his waistband. He growled, startling her, then practically threw her to the bed in his enthusiasm. His free hand gently moved aside her shirt, first one side and then the other so that he could see her. “Inuyasha,” she whispered, waiting for him to continue. He simply stared for a long while and she feared that he was horrified by what he saw.

She was so beautiful. His brain had stopped working a moment as he stared down at her in just her bra and underwear. They didn't match, which didn't surprise him, and it actually endeared her to him even more. She was real, not some magazine fantasy, she was damn near naked and in his bed... “Kagome,” he purred, nuzzling her stomach with his nose and then gently kissing up her torso to her throat. She sighed out a held breath, a breath he realized she had been holding because of him. She'd thought he wasn't pleased by her. She couldn't be any more wrong. He slipped her completely out of her shirt and contemplated her bra for a moment until she took a firm hold of the waistband of his pants. His eyes closed in an attempt to keep himself relatively calm. He didn't mind giving her a little thrill, but he didn't want to scare her. He helped her to unbutton the fly and kept his shaking hands to himself when she undid the zipper. This was a huge step. Never in his life had he been this undressed in front of a woman. He wasn't nervous about his own body, only that he was finally at this point with someone... someone he cared about so deeply.

Her hands seemed to be shaking too, but she got him out of his pants and sat, waiting for him to approach her again. Inuyasha's eyes caught hers and she blushed. He smirked at her, hoping to reassure both her and himself. He reached for her, pulling her into a kiss and tracing her curves with his hands and fingertips. Kagome shivered and sighed, her scent losing some of its bitter edge. He lay her down slowly, kissing her thoroughly before trailing his lips down her chin and neck to taste her. Her skin warmed under his touch as little moans worked their way up in her throat. A gasp left her lips when his mouth found her nipple through the fabric of her bra, the cream fabric darkening as he traced his tongue around the raised peak. His hand found the other, smoothing over first with his thumb and then joining his index finger to carefully pinch and roll the sensitive bead. “Kami, Inuyasha,” she breathed heavily. He grinned, pulling the cup of her bra down so he could switch to the opposite nipple, nipping it lightly before laving his tongue over it to lighten the sting.

Practically jumping at the suddenness of the arousal this caused, Kagome squirmed and yelped, her hands flying to Inuyasha's head and holding him in place. She felt his growl intensify, his tongue becoming more insistent. Her fingers found his ears as she sought something to hold onto and he froze for a moment when she began massaging them between her fingertips. He let out a rough breath, a low whine following it. His attention to her breasts suddenly began again and Kagome was unable to keep her hips from lifting off the bed to press against him, anything to try and relieve the building pressure. “Just like that Kagome,” he whispered, his hands finding the center clasp on her bra and fumbling with it a moment. The cool air hitting both her breasts at the same time and the feeling of them resting freely made her moan, pushing her hips against him more fiercely. Her fingers continued to work his ears while his hands busied themselves with her underwear. “Damn, Kagome,” he hissed, pressing his face against her chest.

His hand sought out his aching cock for a moment, needing to be touched so desperately. Sitting her up, he pulled first her bra from her body and his boxers followed. He sat back against the headboard and guided her into his lap, pushing his hips up against her heated center. She moaned breathlessly. “Inuyasha...” His hands found her hips, helping her to grind slowly against him. The feeling of her, hot and wet, sliding against him was enough to keep him hard but he was going to need more to set him off. Kagome surprised him by taking his hands and pressing them firmly to her breasts, encouraging him to continue where he'd left off while she braced herself against his chest so she could keep sliding her clit up and down his stiff length. “Oh gods,” she hissed, her hips moving faster. Inuyasha leaned forward, catching one nipple between his lips and pinching the other between his fingers. Whimpering softly in the back of her throat, her head fell back and he sucked harder, trying to move his hips in time with hers while keeping up his attentions. A keening wail left her and her hips moved even faster for a moment before stilling, her body arched backward and her fingers gripping his shoulders so tightly he would have bruised were he human.

As she came down from her high, Inuyasha gently tipped her backward, kissing all the way up her body until he found her lips. Kagome's kiss was weak at first, her mind not on the task. “Alright?” he asked, nuzzling her. She nodded. The young woman beneath him watched him watch her with hooded eyes, a small smile hanging on her lips. “Are you... are you sure?” he whispered. He was aching with the need to slide into her, but this was her absolute last chance to back out. Part of him still feared she would take it. Without a word she reached for him, pulling him down to her and slowly sliding her thighs apart to take him into the cradle of her hips. He grinned down at her, kissing her once more. Only minor fumbling occurred on his part as he placed himself in the position to slip into her. She was still wet from her release, her body seemingly demanding he enter. He went slowly, knowing that she could be hurt if he wasn't careful. She held her breath, making her muscles tense. “Relax,” he whispered, “Breathe.”

But quickly it was he who needed to breathe. As he slid in and out, the feeling of his release slowly creeping up on him, Inuyasha felt his youki grow and his youkai blood surge back to the surface. Kagome was unaware, her eyes closed and her back arched as she accepted him into her body. He could practically feel his markings reappear and his eyes return to red, his fangs lengthening. Despite the intense panic this caused in him, there was nothing he could do as Kagome arched sharply beneath him, a gasp for breath through her lips. “Inuyasha,” she cried as her release came over her, grasping his length with spasms. Inuyasha pushed into her over and over, prolonging her climax until his washed over him as well, a roar leaving him. He fell forward, light flashing behind his eyes before everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously:   
> He fell forward, light flashing behind his eyes before everything went black.  
> And now, we return...

The inuhanyou woke to the somewhat desperate call of the young woman below him. “Wake up! Please wake up!” He started, lifting his head groggily and looking down at Kagome's wide eyes. “Inuyasha, are you alright?” He tried to wet his dry mouth, his tongue encountering blood on his lips.  _ Not my blood _ . He jumped, looking more carefully. A rather nasty bite adorned her collarbone, blood smeared on her otherwise perfect skin.

Cursing loudly, he pulled back, only to find himself still deeply seated in Kagome. She moaned weakly while he groaned, his thoughts scattering again. Her whimpering brought him out of it. “Fuck, Kagome! I'm sorry.” He finally was able to slide free, hauling himself into the bathroom on shaky legs to find something, anything, to clean the wound he had inflicted. A towel run under warm water was all he had at the moment and it would have to do. He stumbled back to the young woman still laying in his bed, leaning over her to press the warm cloth to her. “Fuck,” he muttered again. He'd really bitten into her, and yet... As he continued to wipe it clean, he saw that it was healing already. Glancing at Kagome, he found her deep eyes locked on his face. “Are you...” He shook his head. His tongue. Of course. He must have been cleaning the wound. Which meant that his youki had been healing the damage he'd done.

But he didn't remember inflicting it, nor cleaning it.  _ What the hell happened? _ “What... What was that?” she whispered. He grimaced. Never had it occurred to him that when he finally mated it would push his youkai blood to an all-time high. “Why do you look like that?” Like that?  _ Like what? _ His confusion must have been evident, because Kagome reached up with her good arm and tugged on his hair. His black hair. Black hair that she then tucked behind a human ear. With everything else he hadn't even noticed how dull his senses were.

“Human? What the...” He bounced off the bed again, sturdier on his feet this time, and went back to the bathroom, actually looking at himself in the mirror. Definitely human. Black hair, human ears, dark eyes. There was no mistaking it. “I haven't been human in almost a year,” he murmured, touching his own ear in fascination.

“This happens... normally?” Inuyasha jumped at the soft sound of Kagome's voice beside him. Her voice was weak, the strength in her legs even weaker. He caught her when she nearly swooned against the door.

“Whoa. Kagome?”

“I'm... I'm alright.” She had the top sheet wrapped around her body, trailing behind her. Inuyasha lifted her into his arms, taking her back to bed.

“It used to happen every month on the new moon,” he responded to her question. “But it hasn't since my youki started taking over a year ago. I'd almost forgotten what I looked like human.”

Kagome considered him from her place propped up on his pillows. “You're just as good-looking this way... but I like you better as a hanyou,” she told him sleepily, her eyes drooping slightly. Inuyasha found himself grinning a little despite being worried about her. “Why am I so tired? Is this normal?” she whispered. Inuyasha wondered the same thing, but simply curled around her to listen to her breathe as she fell asleep.

Human. Had he somehow expended all of his youki? That didn't make any sense.  _ But neither does being human on a night with a moon. _ He stared down at his sleeping bed mate, wondering if it was something about her in particular that had caused this. She was a miko after all. Had she purified him by accident? That couldn't be right either. His youkai blood was so high at the moment of their climax that her purifying energy would likely have killed him. And yet that would explain why she was so tired. Closing his eyes he tried to feel for any trace of his own youki. When he had his normal human night he could generally feel it lurking in the back of his awareness, like a sleeping dog lounging nearby. He could vaguely feel it now, but it felt like it was... His dark eyes snapped open and he look down at the lovely woman beside him. “In her?”

He clamped his eyes closed again, feeling for his youki and trying to sense her aura as he had so many times before. He'd never done it while human, obviously, but he remembered what it felt like. As he concentrated, Inuyasha found that he could sense her aura swirling around his youki. His eyes opened again and he stared at her.  _ Why does she have my youki? _ Was her energy suppressing his? How or why could it do that? Was it hurting her? Again he studied her. She didn't look like she was in pain, only sleeping soundly. But maybe it was harming her and he wouldn't know it. He had to find out, and quickly.

* * *

“At this hour, really? What in the name of... you're human.” Miroku's face was a picture of shock. “Inuyasha, you haven't been human in...”

“You think I don't know that? Just get in here, you idiot.” The other male and his wife entered the house, following their friend in stunned silence. “Look, this is... really awkward, but something's wrong and I didn't know who else to call.” He took a deep breath and glanced worriedly up the stairway. “Kagome's upstairs.” Both Sango and Miroku's eyebrows shot up.

“What do you have us over here for, you dope? You'll embarrass her!” Sango hissed.

The hanyou turned human put up his hands to admit defeat. “I didn't have any other choice. She's asleep, and I can't wake her up. And I shouldn't be human,” he pointed out, indicating the bright crescent moon through the window. They looked up at the sky and then back at their friend. “My youki is in her, and I think it might be hurting her.”

The worry in his voice was evident to the pair. They realized it had taken a lot for him to call them and that he truly was concerned for Kagome's safety. Miroku nodded resolutely, heading toward the steps. “Is she decent?” Sango asked, one hand latching onto her husband's belt to pull him up short. Inuyasha nodded and she let him go again. “You two...” she trailed off at the look Inuyasha gave her. “I'm happy for you, Yash,” she whispered. He blushed.

The three found Kagome just as Inuyasha had left her, propped up in his bed and sound asleep. “How long has she been out?” Miroku asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Inuyasha glanced at the clock before replying that she'd fallen asleep almost two hours ago and that he hadn't been able to wake her at all. Miroku frowned. He understood why he hadn't taken her to a hospital first. She really did seem to only be sleeping, and the glaring red mark on her very lovely collarbone might imply that Inuyasha had tried to harm her. He sat and simply sensed for some time, trying to feel what his friend thought he had earlier. One eyebrow lifted in surprise. Her spiritual aura, normally very strong, especially for someone so young, was muted. He could see why Inuyasha had initially thought that she had purified him. But some further investigation revealed Inuyasha's youki lurking inside her, just as he'd said. It was whirling with a portion of Kagome's reiki, as though they were battling... or perhaps dancing. Standing, he left Sango to look after the sleeping girl with Inuyasha trailing after him nervously. They went into the bedroom across the hall and left the door open a crack in case they were needed.

Miroku tried to remember if there was anything he'd ever heard of that was similar to this situation. While his knowledge of humans was fairly standard, he did have a slightly deeper knowledge of spiritual powers and beings. Youkai were probably slightly less well known to him. He had worked for Gensai a long time, and it had allowed him to learn things about youkai that he would never have learned on his own, but he knew there was still a lot more for him to learn. Sango's lifetime training as a tajiya made her a bit more knowledgeable than he was, but mostly in how to track, trap and kill rogue youkai. Inuyasha on the other hand, might know more everyday kinds of things. 

Asking for all the currently human hanyou remembered created a small ruckus as Inuyasha clearly didn't want to give such intimate details. “I only wish to understand what you remember feeling, if anything, that might explain what is going on.” Grudgingly, Inuyasha explained what he did and didn't remember. “Don't be offended but, did you use protection, Inuyasha?” The violent blush that lit his friend's features as he looked away answered that question all too easily. “I see. Well that might explain the youki we're sensing within her. It's part of you, it makes sense that it would have traces of your youki,” he thought aloud, but shook his head. The amount of youki they were sensing was much stronger than that and that didn't explain why Inuyasha was human. “Did... did you just forget?” he asked gently.

“You can't. Not when you're Marking your mate.” The whispered words caught Miroku off guard.  _ Marking your mate... is that what happened? The mark on her shoulder. Of course! _ He pried again for further information and finally got out of Inuyasha his excursion out of the house to find Kagome cornered by the wolf and the subsequent calming of his youkai blood. “It was weird, like I'd never been losing it before. My mind was so clear. Then when we... I didn't mean for it to happen. But then...well my youki went crazy and I don't know why. I blacked out.”

Contemplating all that he had learned about the situation, Miroku tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for what was happening to Kagome. He had never known of a miko mating with a hanyou, and certainly not a miko as powerful as Kagome and a hanyou with such strong youkai heritage as Inuyasha. “This is simply a guess, but I believe that the strength of your youki and her reiki are opposing one another. When youkai mate, they mesh their youki together. She does not have youki, but a very strong spiritual aura instead. I would guess that her power is trying to reconcile how to combine the two without doing one or the both of you harm. Thus why you are simply human instead of dead.”

“Then why is my youki hanging out in her instead of just being purified?” Inuyasha huffed, pacing back and forth by the window. “I would get that. But this is something else. It's like they're trying to become something else...”

“You two are so dense.” Both men snapped their heads up to the doorway, staring at the tall woman standing there. Inuyasha scowled while her husband simply raised an eyebrow. “Haven't you ever taken a biology lesson?” Sango rolled her eyes at them and sat on the bed next to Miroku. “When youkai mate, their youki doesn't just mesh to solidify the bond, it melds together to create life. Youki from each partner is taken for the new life that will come from the mating.” She snorted when Inuyasha sat abruptly on the floor, his jaw hanging slightly open. “You're hanyou which means that only so much of you has youki to share, and since Kagome-chan has none at all, the bond likely took more than usual to compensate. That's why you're human,” she explained, taking a look at her husband. He looked startled by her insight, but openly admitted she could very well be right. “She just needs to rest and get lots of food and fluids.” That said, she pulled Miroku to his feet and shooed him out ahead of her. “You should probably stay with her for when she wakes up. She's going to be pretty out of it.” She studied him for a few moments. “Look Inuyasha, she's going to be really confused. She's been taking these, probably a long time.” She tossed a small plastic case to him, which he caught. “You have to explain that being with you is different, and why, as soon as you can.”

Inuyasha stared after them as they left, unsure of what to do with himself.  _ New life... _ He closed his eyes in an attempt to calm his racing heart. Damn his stupid human heart and how easily it fell prey to his stupid human emotions. He was terrified. This was an entirely different kind of fear than earlier when he was afraid for Kagome. Now he was afraid for them both. He should have listened to himself when he said they should stop. He should have thought to get some sort of protection. They should have talked more about what it meant for them to do what they had in mind. He should have thought of all those things.  _ But you weren't thinking, were you, stupid? You were just feeling and doing what felt so good... so right... _

He finally looked down at the case in his hand. Opening it revealed a wheel of plastic and foil bubbles with pills in them. He didn't need to ask to know what they were for. The days of the week labeled the slots for the pills and the case was an obnoxious pink color. He sighed. So that was why she hadn't said a thing about not using any protection once they got started. She had come into the situation thinking she was protected already. But why, if she was a virgin, was she taking them? Could it be she had been thinking about the possibility, the clearly very plausible possibility, that they would come together at some point? He shook his head at that. Sango had said a long time and he had only known Kagome for about six months. Had it really been such a short time? He sat, bewildered.

“Inuyasha?” came a weak voice from the other room. He bolted upright, scuttling into his bedroom. Kagome had tried to sit up, her elbows raising her off the pillow. She still looked exhausted, like keeping her eyes open was a struggle. “Why are you out there? Be here,” she demanded in a groggy murmur, rolling onto her side and reaching out one hand to him. The bite was completely healed, a blessing if he'd ever received one. Inuyasha went to her without thinking twice about it, pulling her into his chest and resting his chin on the top of her head.

Inuyasha chewed his lip for a minute. “Are you feeling alright?” Kagome smiled against him and nodded. “You sure?”

“Just sleepy,” she replied, yawning on top of it. Inuyasha felt her yawn catch him, making him follow suit. Being human after so long was tiring, he had to admit.

Sunlight crept between the curtains where he'd left them open, the slight breeze through the open window bringing scents of breakfast from other houses. Inuyasha lay awake for nearly an hour, waiting for Kagome to wake and start asking questions. Instead he finally had to get up to use the bathroom and leave her sleeping a while longer. If she hadn't awoken the night before, he would have been more concerned that she wasn't waking now that the sun was up. He knew what was going on now, why she was sleeping so much and so heavily.

The bathroom mirror revealed the very slow return of his youki. The tips of his ears were pointed and they seemed to be growing a little fur. His canines were slightly longer, but not sharp yet. Which was good considering he doubted he had his healing ability back and biting his tongue hurt enough when it healed in minutes. His eyes also held a golden tinge swimming in the dark color they became when he was human. He tried to gage how long it would take for him to return to normal but was having trouble seeing any further changes.

“Why so serious?” Her voice startled him, nearly making him poke his own eye out. Kagome grinned at him from her position by the door frame, slouched against the wood in nothing but one of his t-shirts. “Are you worried you won't change back?” He froze, surprised that she'd read him so easily. Though he supposed that the way he was gawking at himself in the mirror was a pretty good giveaway.

Turning to her, Inuyasha took her in carefully, watchful for any possible signs of illness. She looked fine, perhaps a little sleepy still, but other than that he couldn't see any sign that she was unwell. “How are you feeling?” he asked sheepishly. He knew he should be telling her everything right off the bat, but he couldn't force the words through his throat, tight with worry.

“You keep asking me that. Have the other women...”

“Other women?” he blurted in surprise. “Kagome... You're the only one.” He paused, stepping closer so he could gently brush his Mark with his fingertips. “Ever. Forever.” He sought her eyes, found them wide in her face. “Did you not... I mean... You knew, right?” Panic nearly seized his lungs. Had he Marked her as his completely against her will?

Kagome swallowed thickly, trying to get her brain right side up again. “I suppose part of me did. I always thought you'd been with someone else first.”

He paused, sensing the opening for what it was, but felt unable to bring up  _ her _ when he had yet to assure Kagome of her place. “No. But you understand what this means?” His fingers traced the Mark again. She nodded a little lopsidedly. Inuyasha couldn't help the sigh of relief that left him. “I didn't mean to scare you last night,” he gently apologized. “When it comes to mating, instinct takes over, sometimes too quickly. I would have warned you if I'd realized.” She nodded, her deep eyes staring up into his with a look he couldn't quite identify. Despite feeling like he was hiding so much from her, knowing that she accepted his Mark made his heart swell with pride. Stepping closer, he placed his hand on her hip, drawing her against him. She leaned a little more heavily on him than he had hoped, showing her weakness in the silent request for his support. Without saying a word he scooped her up, tucking her tightly against his chest. “Kagome,” he whispered, kissing her temple before setting her on the edge of the bed. Her face openly displayed her confusion.

“Inuyasha?”

The words started spilling out of him almost completely without his consent. Gripping the comforter between his fingers, clenching the fabric, he explained what had been happening the night before. How Kagome had slept so hard she had scared him, how he'd called Miroku and Sango. He left out that the two had been there, but told her what their conclusions as to the cause for her seeming illness had been. Her eyes stayed slightly wide in her face but she made no move or sound to interrupt him in the slightest. His heartbeat seemed loud in his ears until he realized he was somehow aware of Kagome's as well. He was making her panic. Taking several deep breaths to calm himself, Inuyasha released his bedding and took Kagome's delicate hands in his. “I should have been more careful. I wasn't thinking.”

“I could have told you that,” she whispered. He caught only the slightest hint of a joke in her voice. She was shell-shocked, unsure of him, of herself. “Neither one of us were thinking.” She sighed, closing her eyes a moment before looking toward her purse. He saw the direction of her gaze and knew what she was thinking without effort. He quietly asked her how long she had been on them. Kagome jumped, but quirked a smile after a moment. “Since I was sixteen. They're low dosage,” she explained when his eyes flew wide. “Just to regulate things. I used to have...” Her mouth twisted in embarrassment. “Let's just say I used to have a pretty hard time of it. I was hospitalized once.”

Dark eyebrows shot up and he stared at her hard. She wouldn't explain further at that moment, but he hoped someday she might. “It was my fault,” he whispered, lowering his forehead to her lap, feeling the smooth skin of her thighs against his face. “With youkai... that stuff doesn't work. You could have been on it weeks, months, years, it makes no difference.” He felt her fingers in his hair, gently tracing where his ears normally sat. Letting her pet him, he took solace in her touch. The first time he'd felt peace from the touch of another person since his mother... No, that wasn't true. Every time Kagome had ever touched him he had felt that small amount of peace in his soul. Now it was stronger, more consuming. Fighting the tears that welled in the back of his eyes, Inuyasha let out a deep breath.

He felt her shiver beneath him, her skin warming against his face. Inuyasha hesitated only until the scent of her reached his still weak nose. Even with only a slightly enhanced human olfactory sense, he could smell her arousal. Blowing out another more deliberate breath made her squirm slightly. He was hardly able to keep the grin off of his lips. His tongue gently followed the path of his breath, tracing the smooth skin of her inner thighs. Kagome sucked in a startled breath but made no motion to stop him. Skipping over his eventual goal, Inuyasha pushed the t-shirt she wore up her torso to expose her soft belly, kissing and licking his way further up as he slowly tipped her back onto the bed. He paused over her navel, the thought of a small life beginning to grow there giving him pause. He kissed there too, his emotions somewhere between terrified and ecstatic.

His eyes lingering there, he couldn't miss the long scar that curved along her left hip. “Kagome, what...” Her dark eyes flashed down to where his attention had been drawn and she quickly slapped a hand over it. Her cheeks flushed with color and he could tell without the help of his nose that she was deeply embarrassed.

“It's old. I... I thought you saw it last night.”

Inuyasha slowly peeled her hands away from the scarring, gently trailing his lips across the overly smooth surface. Kagome let out a soft hiccup when she swallowed a sob and let out a moan at the same time. “You don't have to tell me about it now,” he reassured her, lingering only a moment longer on the scar before moving onward toward her beautiful breasts.

He felt her heart flutter under his fingertips as he traced her curves and gently over his Mark. Her gasp at his touch made his eyes shoot up to her face, making sure it was excitement and not pain that had caused the sound. Her lower lip was gripped between her teeth and her eyes were closed. There was a slight tilt at the corner of her mouth that looked like a smile. Grinning a little himself, he pulled the shirt over her head and lowered his lips to hers. She moaned as his body brushed against her, her back arching just enough to bring them into full contact. The only thing separating them was the soft fabric of his sleeping pants. He wasn't sure if he was glad of or hated the barrier. 

Part of him was still terrified by the fact that he was about to make love to Kagome all over again. Terrified that they were taking the risk that, if she wasn't already, Kagome could get pregnant. Another part of him was all too thrilled by the idea of having Kagome as his own and that having her under him, pressing against him, and softly whimpering her pleasure over and over again was the best idea he'd ever had. The last part of him, slightly more resolute than he would like, had every intention of fully scent marking his mate every moment he could manage. And if that meant a pup, all the better.

His reasoning powers much sharper than he had been capable of the night before, Inuyasha clearly identified which aspects of his blood and personality were pushing their thoughts. He wanted to listen to his more human thoughts, push away from her and think this through more carefully. But he couldn't manage to overpower his youkai blood. His mate needed to smell as much like him as was possible so that no one could question who she belonged with. So Kouga could never again try to lay a hand on her. He growled, pressing his hips into hers, her thighs sliding apart to allow him closer. His growl softened in pleased approval, little thrusts against her heat making her sigh and gasp. He wasn't going to be able to fight his instincts this time any more than the last. At least the physical mark had already been made. He would feel no compulsion to tear into her with his teeth. Not that he could while mostly human anyway.

Kagome's hands slid down his sides to his hips, pressing down on the waistband of his pants. Inuyasha fought himself over whether to allow her, but lost the power to make the choice when she didn't wait for his permission. He was already so sensitive that he could feel the heat of her with every inch. Closing his eyes, Inuyasha felt a surge of power that he wasn't expecting. “Your hair... You're back to normal,” she gasped, confirming his suspicions, whimpering shortly after when he gently nipped her shoulder with his fangs. Would he lose his youki again when they reached completion? Would he lose control of himself again and black out? Kagome's small hand on him proved that he would be finding out sooner rather than later. Directing him where she wanted him, he found himself sliding into her slowly. He might not be able to restrain himself after this point, so he tried to hold back as much as he could. She was likely sore from the night before, so he wanted to be as careful as possible. Again, Kagome wouldn't allow him.

She softly whispered things in his ear as he held her close. Telling him not to hold out on her, that she knew he had more in him than that, that she could take what he could give. Inuyasha grit his teeth, trying to hold onto what little control he still had, little pulses of heat flushing through his system as her breath ghosted over his sensitive ear. Looking down at her skin, he could swear she was glowing in time with the pulses, but lost all ability to contemplate the possibility when she clenched her muscles around him. His head reared back at the intensity of heat that suffused his body. Kagome gasped and made little sounds of encouragement as he began pounding into her. There was no loss of vision, nor any of his other senses, this time. He felt every tiny movement Kagome made, heard every sound that came from her lips, could smell the depth of her arousal and his own. Biting down on his lip to hold back a roar of satisfaction, Inuyasha felt his completion hit him as Kagome cried out her own. Her body held him like a vise as he continued to push into her, the surge of his release shaking him from the tips of his toes to the tips of his ears.

“Oh god, Inuyasha,” Kagome gasped, her arms clinging to his shoulders as he practically collapsed on top of her. Struggling to focus on her, he scanned her for any scratches or bruises.

“Are you alright?” he questioned her desperately. He couldn't stand the thought that he might have hurt her again, frightened her in any way. She took another, deeper, breath before smiling. Inuyasha let out the breath he'd been holding, his shoulders relaxing.

“Stop asking me that,” she responded playfully.

“I could have hurt you... I did hurt you,” he responded.

Her face becoming a little more serious, she brushed her knuckles against his cheek. “I'm fine Inuyasha. The Mark healed already and other than being a little sore, which you promised me from the beginning,” she reminded him with a smirk, “I'm just fine.” He nodded, resting his forehead against her sternum. Her arms came up around his head, cradling him to her and softly petting his ears. He growled softly and comfortingly at the touch of her fingers. Content, they fell asleep for a short while then got up to shower. Loathe to wash his scent from her skin, Inuyasha made sure to keep touching her whenever he could, repeated contact the only way to make sure that there were no questions about who she was mated to upon first sniff. Kagome seemed to understand and even made her own repeated touches to imprint her scent on him. They stayed in the shower much longer than they had first anticipated, having to clean themselves up all over again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha finally opens up to Kagome about his past, what made him into the "monster" she met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Discussion of an attack and off-site character death.

Inuyasha watched Kagome bustle around his kitchen like she lived there, the only indication she didn't in the way she had to look through several cupboards to find things. “Don't you have any more pans than this?” she asked, holding up the lonely sauce pot he used for ramen when he didn't use the prepackaged ones. He chewed his lip, thinking a moment before going into the oven and pulling out a cast iron skillet. He used that for meat. That was about it. “Ugh, you are so male,” she teased him. He grinned a little, scooping her up against him for a quick kiss.

“All male,” he laughed. She giggled but pushed him back. Kagome dug through another cupboard before she found a stock pot he'd been using to store other dishes in. She rolled her eyes at him and cleaned it out before putting it on the stove. She had already found a flat steak in his fridge and had pulled out several other things that Miroku and Sango must have put in there, because he certainly didn't remember buying carrots or broccoli. “I had a wok at one point... I don't know what happened to it.” Kagome smiled over her shoulder at him, pulling a cutting board away from the wall and a knife from the block on the counter. He flinched at the knife, but she didn't see it.

“You've been asking me all day, but how are you feeling? Do you feel... normal?”

Inuyasha jolted out of his memories and considered her question. It almost didn't feel normal to feel normal at this point, but he did. No uncontrollable urges to tear into anything or ravage Kagome. Well, no more than usual, and he could control it. He felt his youkai like an old friend, simmering under his awareness in waiting. But it wasn't waiting to take over, it was waiting to help him if he needed it. He felt, like that morning, the two sides of him, human and youkai, and the melding of the two that made him hanyou. Some things his human instinct pointed him one way while his youkai pointed him another, but it was the compromise of the two that made it possible for him to function. “Yea, I do. It's been so long, I forgot what it felt like.” Kagome flashed him a grin as she slid her pile of chopped vegetables into the stock pot along with a good amount of water and some spices she'd found behind the tea in his cupboard. Smelled like she found some bullion too. She let it simmer for a while as she seared the beef in his skillet then added that to the pot as well.

He watched her cleaning up, the cutting board first, then the skillet and finally the knife. Feeling uneasiness in his gut, he stood to go to her just before he heard her hiss in pain. He smelled blood and rushed to her side more quickly, taking the sharp object from her and surveying her hand. She'd caught her thumb along the blade while she was scrubbing, but not too deeply. Kagome watched him carefully as he rinsed her hand before taking her thumb and holding it in his mouth.

“It's alright, it mostly surprised me.” He ignored her, moving his tongue over the cut a few times. She shivered slightly, her eyes fluttering at the touch. After another moment he pulled back to look at it, golden eyes scrutinizing. He gave a grunt of approval and released her, nudging her away from the sink and finishing cleaning the knife himself. “Oh!” she gasped when she looked for herself and saw that there was only a tiny pink line where the cut had been. “I don't know how you do that.” He shrugged, his face still serious. “What's wrong?” she asked as she dried her hands, giving him the towel when he was done.

“That knife's gotten both of us now.” Something about the look on his face... Kagome didn't think he meant that he had slipped like she had. Something much darker was behind his frown. She gently touched his shoulder, bringing his attention fully onto her. He took a deep breath and then sighed. Kagome added the noodles to the stock pot and then pulled her new mate over to his table to sit. She didn't ask questions, knowing he would get it out in his own time. “I should have told you about her earlier, I just didn't know how.” Her deep brown eyes widened but she remained silent. “I didn't just gradually fall into that state like most people think, I was pushed.” 

He began at the beginning, telling Kagome about how he'd met Kikyou several years before, a young miko who had been studying to be at the top of her profession for years. Kikyou had come to their town to help with a rogue youkai problem they were having. Most youkai in town had no intention to hurt anyone, but the power of those youkai drew other less favorable types into the area sometimes. People like Sango, the tajiya, usually exterminated, relocated, or helped miko and houshi seal youkai that were dangerous to others, humans and youkai. He'd been working with the tajiya at that point and he'd met Kikyou on a job. Things had progressed from there and it had felt like they had something special. 

Kagome flinched at his wistful tone, but remained quiet. Not wanting to miss a moment of his story, she motioned for him to pause while she checked on their food. He sat at the table collecting his thoughts as Kagome ladled out broth, vegetables, noodles and the beef into bowls, setting one in front of him and taking one for herself. Inuyasha sniffed long and hard before grinning. She'd made him ramen, more or less from scratch, without him ever having told her it was his favorite food. “Go on,” she murmured once they'd both eaten some.

He told Kagome about their growing relationship, how she had held back so much from him at first. He'd thought it was just virginal shyness, or the fact that she was a miko made her unsure about pursuing a romantic relationship. There were still shrines that taught complete abstinence for those pursuing training in the holy arts. As their relationship progressed, she loosened up with him. They went on dates, had nights in… Nothing ever went further than kissing, Kikyou always hesitating when it got too heated. He learned the hard way that it was not just her hesitation that kept them apart. He'd been ready to ask her to become his mate, to take that step with him. To become just people instead of being defined by their skills, their powers. She didn't really understand what he was asking until he explained what that would mean for his youkai side, how much it would mean to him. In that very kitchen, he had approached her with the idea and she had refused him. Kikyou rejected his youkai blood, his youki, his heritage. She was a traditional miko, through and through. That he thought she would want to be mated to a youkai was offensive to her. Kikyou tried to negotiate with him, hoping that he would agree to be rid of his youkai half, that they could find a way to purify it from him. He'd been so hurt, his youkai half insulted and threatened by her words, that his eyes had flashed red. That had been all it took. Kikyou had grabbed that very knife off the counter and had threatened him with it, thinking that she needed to protect herself from him. He was so upset, he didn’t realize that it would look like he was attacking her when he only intended to get the knife from her. She'd stabbed his arm, luckily with only a small amount of spiritual power involved, and left him there stunned.

After that, his youkai had been more and more restless, the time of his human night becoming shorter until one month, it never happened at all. The markings began to appear after that, then the eye turning red… He left the house less and less, fearing hurting someone if they looked at him the wrong way, said the wrong thing, and set off his youkai’s anger. He couldn’t risk it. Miroku and Sango started shopping for him, coming by every week to bring him food and essentials. He felt like a prisoner, but knew that it was fitting for someone who could kill an innocent person without a thought.

Kagome was silent for some time, staring at him in shock. After a moment she scooted her chair back to stand. He helped her push his own chair back before she straddled his lap. Her arms came around him and held him close, no words leaving her for some time. She knew nothing she could say would erase that memory from him, but she offered her comfort to help erase the hurt. She caressed his ears, ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead over and over again. He accepted her embrace with a sigh, relaxing against her. “I thought you'd be upset.”

“I am upset, but not for the reason you're thinking.” He lifted his golden eyes to her, taking in the scowl around her mouth. “How dare she hurt you like that? You cared for her and she rejected you... stabbed you!” The fury building in her made her literally glow pink. Inuyasha flinched at first, thinking he was about to get purified, but noticed that he didn't feel any pain. Her aura wasn't hurting him...

“Kagome?”

“I mean, who even starts dating someone if they can't accept who they are?”

“Kagome?” he tried again as she glowed brighter. “Kagome! Calm down,” he called. She jumped, her aura dying down some. She looked down at him and then herself. Her eyes widened sharply and he saw the glow dissipate immediately.

“Oh no! Did I hurt you? Are you alright? I could have burned you!” She ran her hands all over him, checking for singed clothes or burned skin. “You're... not hurt,” she said finally. He grinned at her, nodding. “Did you feel anything?”

“Just warm. I didn't want to risk...” he stopped himself. He was worried about the life she could be sheltering inside her, but didn't want to upset her by bringing it up. He still wasn't sure how she felt about the idea of a child. She'd seemed oddly detached from the whole thing earlier. Inuyasha couldn't imagine that her miko energy would harm it, if it existed, but he had been nervous about how it would react to his youki inside her, or the growing youki of the child. But having felt no ill effects from her aura touching him, he felt more hopeful. “Finish your food. Need to keep up your strength.” She hugged him tightly before returning to her bowl. They ate in companionable silence, Inuyasha finishing off the last two helpings in the pot when Kagome swore she couldn't eat any more. “We'll go to the store later,” he promised.

The very idea of going out in public _on purpose_ made him giddy. He hadn't been able to do that in well over eight months. Now he could go wherever, whenever he wanted. With Kagome at his side of course. He took her back upstairs, trying to help her into her clothes but ending up helping her out of them again. They had to shower, again, then tried the getting dressed part separately this time. He was glad to see he hadn't ripped any of her clothes in his haste the night before. He didn't have anything that would even remotely fit her and he didn't want to walk into her mother's house with her blatantly looking like she'd been ravished, several times at this point, by a rabid inuhanyou.

Kagome slipped her shoes on before sitting on the end of the bed. “Do you want to come with me to talk to my family or...”

“Keh. Of course.” Her smile lit her whole face and he blushed slightly under her open pleasure. “I'm not a dishonorable dirt bag. I claimed you as my mate and I'm going to stand by you as your mate.” He didn't think she could glow any more. Unless you counted how she'd been actually glowing earlier. “Come on.” Holding out a hand to her, he was happy when she took it and followed him downstairs. They both took breaths of fresh air in the garden, Inuyasha sighing with pleasure that he could both smell everything so clearly and that he could do so without fear that he might wander off and hurt someone.

* * *

The blatant stares were something he hadn't been prepared for. Granted there was approval in their eyes, but it still unnerved him. It was also a little embarrassing to know that all the youkai they passed knew what had gone on between them the night before... as well as this morning... and right before leaving the house. It wasn't just his changed appearance or the way his youki had calmed, nor was it the Mark that Kagome was proudly displaying by leaving an extra button open at the collar of her shirt. They could smell it if they had the nose for it and he knew more than a few of them did. While in the moment he had been so determined to make sure there was no doubt about Kagome being his, now he was embarrassed by his zealous need to scent mark her.

“They all know, don't they?” Kagome whispered from beside him, voicing her thoughts so like his own. He gave a curt nod. “Well that's a little awkward,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. And that was the end of it. He'd thought for sure she'd continue to feel uncomfortable about it, but she made no further mention of the looks they were getting.

“Inuyasha!” The call startled both of them and they spun around to face the small kitsune child barreling down the sidewalk toward them. Inuyasha caught him against his chest easily, grinning at the bright smile he was getting. “I haven't seen you in for-ev-er!” Shippou told him adamantly. Setting him down, the inuhanyou laughed slightly at the way his little tail quivered in his excitement. He looked up and saw Gensai staring at them very openly, his eyes glowing with approval and relief. Inuyasha was sure he'd been worried about Shippou encountering him, especially after the talk they'd had.

“Looking good, brat. Kagome said you've been doing well in school. You're not giving your teachers too much trouble, are you?” Shippou looked nervous a moment before puffing out his chest a little. Hiding a smirk, Inuyasha crouched down to be almost eye level with the kit. “We talked about you ticking off your teachers, didn't we?” Shippou deflated a little.

“Yes.”

“That's what I thought.” He gave the kit a little chuck under the chin making him smile again. He skipped around Kagome's ankles, telling her how glad he was to see her too. She laughed, catching him when he leaped into her arms and petting his hair for a moment. Gensai came up to stand with them, a small smile hovering around his mouth. “Fox,” Inuyasha greeted.

“Pup. It's good to see you looking so well.” His sly grin was not lost on either of them and they both blushed. “I'm glad for you both,” he said, taking Shippou in one hand and pressing Kagome's with the other. “Come on, Shippou. The bakery closes in an hour. They might not have any cookies left if we stand around bothering them all day,” he said with a wink.

“Come by the house tomorrow?” Gensai grinned, nodding, and took Shippou off for his treat, the kit telling his father to hurry. “Let's get to your house. I'm sure your mom's wondering where you're at.” Kagome made a soft sound of distress, having just realized she hadn't called home... again.

“You're going to get me in trouble,” she told him playfully.

“You're a grown mated woman,” he said offhandedly, “you can do what you want.” The young woman only laughed. “She...” He paused, slowing their pace. “She's not gonna be mad, is she? That it's me?” His brow furrowed in concern, his ears drooping.

“That night we had take-out at your place?” she said after a moment. He gave a confused look as to the relevance of her statement but gestured that he remembered. “She asked me if I was spending the night. I was so embarrassed. I thought for sure you'd heard what she said.”

Inuyasha's face took on a confused smile. “That was months ago.”

“Yes.”

“Your mom thought we were... that long ago?” he stumbled over the idea but his grin returned. Kagome shrugged but couldn't help the smile that quirked her mouth. “Well I'm glad we didn't disappoint her.” Kagome rolled her eyes and kept walking. Inuyasha chuckled softly, catching her up against him and giving her a quick kiss. “I'm glad I didn't disappoint you,” he whispered. Kagome's pupils dilated and she sucked in a gasp of air. Her scent curled deliciously in his nose and he growled his approval.

“Inuyasha...” She closed her eyes, pushing gently against him. “We're in the middle of the street,” she reminded him. He glanced up, realizing anyone could see them right now. He flushed slightly, letting her go but taking hold of her hand. They walked the rest of the way in silence, pausing at the front door. “Here goes,” Kagome whispered, squaring her shoulders. “Mama?” Inuyasha knew immediately that her mother was home, and in the living room if his nose was correct. They slipped off their shoes and he pulled her along with him.

“Kagome,” she started to greet her daughter before she looked up. “Oh, hello Inuyasha,” the older woman said with a smile, setting her book aside. The inuhanyou felt his heart beating rapidly and tried to calm it so that it didn't affect Kagome as well. Again he was startled by the easy acceptance he received in this house. Even before, when he had nearly mauled Kagome and looked like a beast, they invited him in for dinner. Now he at least knew he was under control and looked as normal as he was going to get. “I'm going to guess you two have something to tell me?” she said with another softer smile. Inuyasha looked down, trying to see what made it so obvious. Their held hands probably did it... and Kagome's Mark was still openly on display.  _ Duh. _

“I... You're not mad, are you?” Kagome asked, though she seemed to already know the answer.

“Mad?” her mother laughed, motioning for them to sit on the couch while she returned to the armchair. “I've been expecting this a while. I'm glad to see you're feeling better dear,” she directed at Inuyasha. He blushed slightly, letting out a “keh” in response. “Don't be embarrassed. I knew things were headed in this direction as soon as Kagome invited you in. She's... never brought a boy home before.” This made Kagome flush hotly, turning her eyes away from her mate. He eyed her curiously, remembering his assumption months ago that she'd had boyfriends before. Clearly if she had, they hadn't been serious enough for her to bring them to meet her family. He felt honored that she had chosen him, that she had placed that much trust in him, especially when she should have assumed he was capable of hurting her or her family.

Kagome tried not to let her embarrassment overwhelm her. She knew her mother was trying to make Inuyasha understand how important he was to her, but to have to later tell him about her severe lack of dating in the past was making her ears feel hot. “There will be a ceremony tomorrow. I... we would be honored if you would be there.” Her eyes shot up at his statement, confusion washing away her embarrassment. Inuyasha looked over at her, sensing the change in her emotions. “That's why I invited the fox over. You... haven't you ever been to a claiming ceremony?” he asked, a little concerned.

His mate opened and closed her mouth a few times before responding. “I guess I haven't been close enough to any youkai couples to be invited.” Inuyasha gave her a look of surprise then shook his head a moment.

“I... Well it's nothing fancy, not like human weddings or whatever,” he blushed, giving an apologetic look for the unintentional slight. “It's just a gathering for the friends and family of the mated pair to acknowledge the bond and celebrate.”

Kagome's mother was grinning widely at them. “I would be honored to be there! What can I bring?” she asked enthusiastically, clapping her hands together. Inuyasha rubbed the back of his neck nervously, a small smile hanging around his mouth. He explained that it was whatever kind of gathering the couple wanted it to be and no one had to bring anything if they didn't want to. “Oh, but I want to help in any way I can. How about some sweets? A cake perhaps.” Inuyasha was about to protest when Kagome placed a calming hand on his arm. He saw her shake her head out of the corner of his eye and remained quiet.

“She's been dreaming about the food at my wedding for years. She always planned to make the cake herself. Let her do this, ok?” Kagome pleaded with him when they left her mother to make a grocery list as long as his arm. Her mother promised to send Souta over with a suitcase later that afternoon, unknowingly alerting the pair that she fully expected Kagome to be staying with Inuyasha from now on.

“She really doesn't have to,” he insisted.

Kagome just gave him a smile and kissed his cheek. “I know. But she wants to and it will be her only opportunity.” Inuyasha frowned at the implication.

“We can do a wedding ceremony too, you know, and the reception deal. All that stuff. I mean, if that's what you really want to do.”

She smiled at him, his thoughtfulness making her happy. “No need. I suppose that's what most girls want.” Kagome felt herself slightly forcing her smile after that. “I don't need the fancy outfit and the cake to make it official. I love you, that's all that matters.”

Stunned by her response and a little suspicious of the smile plastered on her lips, Inuyasha decided to wait until they had returned home before asking her what she really thought. They'd stopped on the way home to order some food for the next day and Kagome made him stop at the hardware store to buy more pots, pans and a few utensils. She at least acknowledged that his knife set was decent or she would have made him buy a new one of those too. Loaded down with boxes and bags, the pair laughed as they abandoned their purchases on the kitchen table and collapsed on the couch. Pausing a moment to let her catch her breath, Inuyasha cornered her against the arm, kissing her gently a few times. Her laugh turned soft and breathy, her smile becoming goofy. “Let's have the wedding too,” he whispered against her shoulder, hoping that she just didn't want to admit she wanted to because she thought he didn't want to go through with it. He was sure she'd smile and hug him, happy he wanted to honor human tradition.

She froze instead, her body becoming stiff and unyielding underneath him. “No.”

Inuyasha pulled back, startled. “What? Why not?”

“Just... no. No wedding.” He frowned down at her. Was it because she didn't want other humans to see them as married? That didn't make any sense. She proudly wore his Mark, displaying it openly. Her mother had pointed out that he meant more to her than any man before. It couldn't be a marriage or even an engagement gone wrong, or her mother might have mentioned that too. Kagome pushed at his chest lightly, halfheartedly trying to move him off of her. He let her up only to catch her hands and force her to face him. Staring into her eyes he could see the pain there, a pain that she was trying to avoid talking about.

“Kagome, Mate,” he murmured. “What is it?” He wouldn't let her avoid his intense golden gaze and she eventually melted under his scrutiny. Softly at first, she told him about her father. She'd always been “daddy's little girl” and proud of it. Her father loved his children immensely, his wife even more. He had dedicated his life to making their lives better. She and Souta worked hard to make his work worthwhile, to make him proud. She'd gotten into school and gotten the scholarships she needed to go under her own power.

Kagome swallowed hard, tears already streaming down her cheeks. “And then one day, everything changed.” For a few days after the shooting on the train, they'd had some hope that he would make it. He wasn't in stable condition, but they hoped and prayed. “Then he was gone,” she sobbed out. “Mama lost it for a while. They were so in love,” she murmured, staring at where Inuyasha held her hands. She could only hope that someday he loved her half as much as her father loved her mother. He hadn't said it and she was worried he might never feel comfortable saying it. “We had to find a way to make ends meet, to keep going without him.” She laughed. “Mama had to force me to go back to school. 'What would your father say to you if he knew you quit school because of him?' she asked me. I was so... angry at her. I couldn't imagine how she could go on without him.” Kagome's face crumpled and she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself enough to speak again. “Mama told me she had to keep going to honor him, to honor the hard work he'd put into making our lives as good as he had. To raise the children he loved so much so we could go out into the world and make it a better place. 'To go out and love even _one_ _person_ as much as he loved you,' she said.”

“Every parent has to be prepared to go on living for the sake of their children. Look at Gensai,” Inuyasha murmured to her, rubbing his thumbs over the backs of her hands. “Shippou was too young to really understand, but he's managing ok without his mother.” Kagome nodded dumbly. “I know it's hard, Kagome. I lost both my parents.” Looking up at him, her face stilled.

“I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I... You probably think I'm such a huge baby.”

Inuyasha smiled gently, leaning forward to kiss her nose. “Don't start that, Kagome,” he said affectionately. Looking at her, he realized why she didn't want to go through with a wedding. Her father wouldn't be there. It wouldn't be the day she always dreamed it would be because her father wouldn't be there to see it. His ears drooped in sympathy. He didn't know what it was like to have a dream like that, something you imagine for your whole life, only to have that dream shattered. He'd never even hoped that he would find love like his parents had, a mate to spend his life with, definitely not after Kikyou crushed him. Kagome had changed all that without him even knowing it until it was too late. “We won't do anything you don't want,” he whispered, tugging her toward him until she climbed into his lap and let him hold her. He settled his nose in her hair, just smelling her and his scent on her. His mate. “You're right. All that matters is that I love you and you love me.” Kagome jerked in his arms and he released her enough to let her look at him. He frowned at the wonder on her face, unsure as to its origin.

“Say it again,” she breathed. “Please.”

Eyebrows drawing together, he tilted his head in confusion. “You're right?”

Kagome let out a soft burst of laughter. “No, the other part.” Inuyasha's face softened as he understood. He came to the realization that in all that had happened between them already, he hadn't told her he loved her. He'd just operated under the assumption that she knew he would never have Marked her if he didn't care for her. But now that he thought about it, he'd made it sound like an accident, an instinct-driven reaction.

“I love you, Kagome,” he whispered. The smile that lit her face nearly blinded him in its intensity. He'd say it over and over again if it kept her smiling like that! He tried it, taking it a step further and deciding to show her as well as tell her.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to @clearwillow on Tumblr (BrigidTheFae here in AO3) for posting and offering up her picture (https://clearwillow.tumblr.com/post/611979595083874304/you-know-what-sucks-drawing-something-you-think) for story inspiration, which pushed me to drag this out after sitting in wait for years.


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